Fearless
by Through the Loop
Summary: Alfred became an orphan in the blink of an eye, barely saved from the wreckage of his village. Soon, he is taken to the palace to train as an official royal knight. That is when he meets Prince Arthur. The two swiftly fall for each other, but a war turns Prince into King sooner than expected. Can their love survive with a secret operation to destroy them both? UKUS smut, 2 authors
1. Chapter 1

His body trembled as he was held in his mother's arms.

"Shh, everything is going to be alright," She said in her melodic voice.

A soft whimper escaped the young boy's lips. She rocked him back and forth in her arms. The roar of the beast rang through the air, causing many who ran through the streets to cover their pain-filled ears.

"Mommy, it's coming." He cried as he nestled his head into her neck, only feeling safe from her closeness.

People screamed as it approached through the air, landing atop of buildings, destroying everything in its path with its fiery breath. The boy's mother set him down.

"I will be right back; I need to find your brother."

The boy looked at her with tear filled eyes. "Don't go! Please, I need you!"

She shook her head and smiled. "My little hero, I will be right back, safely with your brother. Everything will be alright little one."

Alone, he waited for her return. He hid his face in his knees and covered his ears, drowning out the horrid surroundings. Until everything was dark, nothingness was all he could feel. Was he dead? He wondered to himself, but of course he wasn't dead, he was the one who survived.

* * *

"Wake up Alfred!" A whisper came to the boy's ear. "There is a man here for you."

Alfred bolted awake. "What!?"

The orphan boy Danny called. "You slept in! A man from the palace is here. How could you forget? I thought you packed to leave for the palace last night."

"It's that late already?" Alfred jumped up; his legs were not prepared for the action and he fell back to the ground. "Ow." He moaned, standing up again this time more slowly.

"Well I hope living at the palace doesn't make them loose faith in your ability. I'm afraid they'll be disappointed after seeing you in a non-formal setting." Danny sighed and called to the men outside the door "He's coming in a moment!"

"Everything will be fine." Alfred said as he scratched the back of his head, "I guess, this is goodbye." He smiled at the other. "Wish me luck."

The boy sighed with a sad smile. "Good luck...I'm glad you're getting a better chance...you deserve it." He helped Alfred off the floor. "You're only twelve though, so don't get full of it. Come on, get dressed, I'll take your bag out there. He has two other guys with him. None of them seem scary...but one of them has red eyes!"

"Red eyes?" Alfred mulled over the thought. How unusual was that? He dressed, making sure to wear the nicest thing he owned, though that wasn't a huge step; orphans didn't have much.

He stepped outside with his bag slung over one shoulder. He bowed when he saw Francis. "Good morning master," He said bowing his head once more.

The man smiled at him. "Come now Alfred, don't act so formal." He reached out and messed up the orphan's hair. "Antonio, get his bag would you?"

Antonio smiled and nodded. "I'll take that." He took the bag from the boy.

"So, uhh, we are heading to the place..." Alfred said nervously, he'd never been to a large city before, let alone the capital.

"Yes. I hadn't considered it would be your first time in the capital. I wanted to take you once before but...well-"

"He was busy thinking about how you couldn't handle it." A white haired man interrupted in passing.

"Oh stop it Gilbert. I have every right to be worried about Alfred's well being..."He cleared his throat and looked back at the boy. "The journey will take a little over six hours I think. We'll have plenty of time to talk about regulations. But once you get to the palace you will be assigned a room and after my repots on your progress, the king has ordered to speak with you in person once you arrive." He grinned. "Look forward to this Alfred. You are definitely one of a kind."

"T-thank you." He smiled up at the captain. "I will defiantly make you proud."

Francis smiled and in a few minutes, the carriage was loaded and Alfred was sitting inside, a few other young knights around him who were picked up on the way. Antonio and Gilbert rode on either side of the coach on horses. All the boys could hear Francis ramble on about random subjects to the driver and his colleagues on either side from the front of the carriage. A boy with blonde hair and stern blue eyes looked at Alfred. "You were the last one huh?... You look like a country boy."

Alfred sat with his hands on his knees looking down at the ground. He had never been in a carriage; he felt sick to his stomach. "Ya, I was from Landel, before it was destroyed."

The carriage went silent until an amazed looking boy spoke up. "Landel? Really? Did you ever see the Dragon?!"

"I- no... I didn't see it..."

"Wow so you were really there during the attack?!" Another boy piped in. This one was a red head, and there was something more feminine about his voice, maybe he was younger?

The blonde who had spoken Earlier put a hand on the red head's shoulder. "We shouldn't ask him personal questions Feliciano." he mumbled.

"It's okay." He smiled at the other. "Yes, I was there."

Alfred leaned back against his seat, closing his eyes and hoping to rid himself of the sick feeling he had in his stomach.

The last boy looked at him. He looked strong, but had a sweet look about his face, like he couldn't hurt a fly. And for some reason he was wearing a scarf in mid- summer. "Are you feeling sick? Have you never ridden in a carriage before?"

Alfred shook his head, drawing his knees to his chest as he did.

The four boys looked at him with almost pity in their eyes, but sympathy as well. The blonde spoke up. "Well maybe this will be good training. A knight can't get motion sickness easily, otherwise how would he ride a horse?" The red head smiled at him. "You're so positive Ludwig!"

Alfred raised his head. "You're right. I have to be strong." He looked at the boys, "Thanks."

The redhead grinned at him and held out his hand. "I'm Feliciano! What's your name?!"

The blonde looked at the redhead perplexed. "Don't be so forward."

"Alfred F. Jones. Good to meet ya." He held out his own with a cheery smile.

Feliciano took it and shook it quickly. "I think we should all get to be friends if we're going to train together! So come to me for anything okay?!"

The fourth boy was short, he also had a sweet face, but his expression seemed almost condescending. He looked at the redhead with an amused grin. "That sounds like something a girl would say," He snickered.

Ludwig chewed on the inside of his cheek but said nothing. Feliciano smiled as he pulled away from the handshake. "A lot of people tease me about that. But I guess I'm just friendly."

Antonio spoke from next to the carriage, peering through the window from the top of his horse. "Don't let knighthood beat that enthusiasm out of you and you'll make it far!"

Alfred chuckled. "He's right you know." He looked to the other boys. "So what are your guy's names?" There was a small grin plastered on his lips.

The one with the scarf smiled shyly. "My name is Ivan." He said.

"I'M FELICIANO BUT YOU CAN CALL ME FELI!"

"You already introduced yourself."

"And this stick in the mud is Ludwig!" He grunted.

The shorter one looked away. "Yao." He said shortly

"Well we are all going to be training together for a while, hope we get along." His smile never left his face, even when the carriage it a bump in the road causing his stomach to turn.

Feliciano patted his knee. "You'll be fine, you get used to it after awhile."

"I hope so." He sighed and gave a thankful smile. He expected to be made fun of for his show of weakness.

Luckily, the rest of the trip went semi-smooth and Alfred realized that enthusiasm was present in the trio that led them to the palace as well. Gilbert's advice was "Don't let them beat the kid out of you, and find a reason to succeed." Alfred thought that was good advice. The five boys passed the time and arrived at the palace before he knew it. When they stepped out into the courtyard, Alfred looked up, amazed.

Feliciano spoke up next to him. "I have seen some big buildings, but that is a giant!"

Alfred stared wide eyed at the building. "How can something be so- so big?!" He motioned to the entirety of the building. "Wow."

Ivan smiled from behind his scarf. "Have you never seen a mountain up close then? It is quite big, but where I am from the hills tower over it."

Feliciano laughed. "I'm worried about getting lost!"

Ludwig cleared his throat. "Is there a...map of sorts for us?" He asked Gilbert.

"Landel is near smaller hills, but it was mainly in the valley. It was so small; not one building could compare the scale of this!" Alfred looked to the three men who were with them. "Are we allowed to explore at all?" He hoped they would receive maps, his sense of direction was in no way reliable, maybe as he grew up, it would become more so. "A map would be nice." He mumbled. He didn't want to admit to another weakness.

"Oh you'll get the hang of it. You can explore, but for now we'll just show you all the paths you need to know. Like from your quarters to the throne room, dining hall, ballroom, training grounds, basic things… Oh, also the toilet."

Alfred nodded his head. It was defiantly going to take him a few times to get the hang of the palace.

Each of the boys picked up their bags. "We'll show you to your quarters. Usually beginners share quarters with one other young knight. But we have an odd number so one of you will have to be alone for now."

"Uhh..." Alfred looked away; he didn't want to be the odd one out. But of course he would, if no one else wanted the position, he was a hero like that.

Feliciano grabbed Ludwig's arm. "Got mine!" He proclaimed with a solute. The other three boys only stood there, unsure of what to do. Francis looked at them. "Want me to decide for you? I know you don't know each other very well yet, but it's a good opportunity to learn trust. In fact we may start a rotation cycle so you are all each other's roommate at some point."

"If you want... I will have my own room." Alfred raised his hand shyly.

"Well I was going to say that anyhow, since your beginning curriculum will be a little different." He said with a smile. A few of the other nights gave Alfred a curious look.

"Off we go!" Gilbert called. "Follow me boys!" He jumped alongside Antonio and Francis, marching toward the doors.

Alfred nodded. So he was going to be alone for now, he wondered about how his curriculum would be different. When the other boys looked at him, Alfred blushed and wrapped his arms around himself. He trailed close behind Francis as they entered the palace.

It was huge; he couldn't help but wonder how the three men knew their way around the palace so easily. After taking the boys to their quarters to get settled, Francis broke away from the group. And soon, Antonio helped Alfred get settled and began guiding him to the throne room.

* * *

The fifteen-year-old Prince, Arthur watched the new arrivals enter from his window seat. "Hmm." he mumbled, displeased with the fact his father had set up an appointment with one of them. That meant he would have to waste his precious time away from lessons learning about some kid. That didn't appeal to him at all. A boy with honey-Blonde hair and blue eyes got out of the carriage, he looked more nervous then the others. That must be him then, Alfred F...what was it? Oh well. He let out a long sigh and looked back at his bed where he had draped his cloak; it was too hot to be wearing such a royal garment so he sat barefoot on his window seat, wearing nothing but his trousers and the golden locket around his neck in the shape of a crown. There was a knock on the door and he groaned. "Who is it?"

"It's Francis, may I come in?" Came the voice from the other side.

Arthur sighed. "Yes. But be aware that I'm not decent."

Francis chuckled. "That's alright; I have known you since you were a baby." He opened the door.

Arthur looked toward him, his feet propped up on the wall opposite him, and laying his head flat on the window seat. "Let me guess, I have to come greet the new knights...and one in particular?"

"Well I cannot make you; you out rank me, but it is recommended that you be prepared."

"Right, and if I don't go Father will kill me...'That's no way for a future king to act.'" Arthur waved his index finger in the air, imitating his father's gruff voice. "Oliver is there already I assume?"

"Yes, he is." Francis nodded. "Now will you be coming, or are you going to have me tell your father otherwise?"

Arthur sighed and swung his legs down to the floor. "I'm coming, just give me a moment." He pulled on his socks and boots. "I need to get dressed. What's with you today? You seem awful serious."

"I just feel this boy is going to do good by this kingdom, and I want things to go well..."

Arthur nodded but rolled his eyes as he put on the rest of his princely ensemble. "I suppose I should be interested in that case...but I'm not for some reason...ugh...I'm going to be a God- Awful king." He mumbled as he straightened the golden band on his head, recognizing his prince status. "It's not that I mean to...but honestly...Oliver is older and smarter, why can't he just do it?"

Arthur straightened his coat and walked out the door and down the hallway

"Because he is the king's illegitimate son, you are your mother's boy, it is your right. I have told you this many times before."

"So?!" Arthur spat back then felt bad. Francis was a good friend. "I'm sorry...I just...ugh...why does it matter whom my mother is? It's not like I was made any differently then Oliver was. She's dead anyways."

"If you don't mind me saying..." He paused, waiting for the okay. "I think you would make a fine king, Oliver on the other hand... He- there is something off about him..."

"Nonsense, Oliver would make a better king than me any day. He's one of my best friends and I have complete trust in him."

"If you say so..." Francis shook his head,

"I do." They arrived at the throne room just as Antonio guided the boy Arthur had seen earlier around the corner. Arthur looked at him for a few moments. His curiosity was piqued by the long scar on the boy's neck. "Is that him?" He questioned Francis.

"Yes, that's Alfred." Francis smiled at the boy and waved

Alfred smiled back at him, nervously.

Arthur just looked at him. The child looked much older than twelve. It seemed he should be at least fourteen. He was maybe only an inch shorter than Arthur himself. Without speaking, he entered the throne room. "Sorry I'm late Father. I had to...oh...excuse me." He bowed to his father before taking a seat next to Oliver in a smaller throne.

The king nodded but didn't say anything.

Arthur glanced at Oliver. His older brother smiled back at him. Arthur let out a sigh before smiling back. Alfred entered.

He bowed before the king and the two princes, not entirely sure what he should be doing. Antonio gave him some information on how he should act, but other than that he was lost.

Francis stepped to the front of the courtroom. "Your highness, may we present Alfred F. Jones; the only survivor from Landel during the attacks on the west."

"Welcome to my palace. You have been through a great sorrow, and I apologize for that, but we welcome you into our home with open arms Alfred F. Jones. I pray your training go well." The king spoke; his voice was loud, but also very gentle and kind.

"You may rise."

Alfred nodded and did as the king said, standing to his full height. He took a deep breath.

Arthur looked at him skeptically. Was that all that made this boy special? He survived the Dragon's rampage? That could have been anyone...he just got lucky. Francis cleared his throat. "Alfred has shown great promise in his training. And he has shown impressive skills that exceed other boys of his age. First of all, he is extremely strong. Would your highness like a demonstration?"

The king looked to the two of his sons then nodded. "Yes, let us see."

Arthur cocked an eyebrow. Strong for his age huh?

Francis looked at Alfred. "Are you feeling well enough? What do you think you can handle right now?"

Arthur couldn't help holding back a snicker.

"I'm fine," Alfred nodded, blushing at the look the younger prince gave him. "Anything is fine..."

Francis shrugged. "Alright then, to start, Prince Arthur, you seem to find this amusing." Francis said with a cocked eyebrow. "Would you mind volunteering?"

Arthur straightened. "Volunteering? For what?"

The king rolled his eyes. "Do it Arthur."

Arthur held still for a moment before giving in and standing, walking toward Francis. "What?"

"Now Alfred when you're ready, show them what you can do."

Alfred nodded. "Are you sure this is alright?" He glanced at Francis, his face uneasy.

"Go ahead; you have the king's permission."

"Okay... Excuse me Prince..."

Arthur blinked. "Erm." Before he could speak, Alfred leaned to the side, grabbing Arthur by his lower back and the other just below his back side. He yelped and blushed and he was suddenly being held in the air over Alfred's head. "BLOODY HELL!" He gasped and looked around, kicking his legs. "Wh...What just... Put me down!"

The king and Francis both laughed. Antonio only stared amazed. "Whoa...one strong kid..." The king smiled. "That is amazing! And you are only twelve years old child?"

He set the prince down. "Sorry about that." He looked to the king "Yes."

Francis smiled, "That is only brushing the top of what he can do; if you don't mind me showing you."

The king nodded giving him permission.

Francis led the boy to Arthur's thrown. Alfred leaned down and took on the weight of the large chair, lifting it above his head, he took a deep breath.

Arthur stared wide eyed. Okay yes... This kid was special. After a moment though, Alfred gulped and looked at Francis shaking his head with a shaky breath. Francis helped him put it down. "His strength varies from time to time..."

Alfred rubbed his arms and had to lean against Francis for support.

Francis sighed. "I'm afraid he is weary after the long trip...but I believe you get the idea...he is also very skilled in aim and his skin is very hard to cut."

Alfred took another shaky breath, cursing to himself; he didn't want to feel so weak.

The king stood and clapped his hands together. "Amazing!" He proclaimed.

"Thank you, sire." Francis said, bowing his head to the king. "Prince Arthur, you may sit now. We have finished our demonstration."

Arthur didn't move for a long time but quickly sat down once he snapped out of it. "That's...interesting...you're definitely something, I'll tell you that." He said to Alfred.

Alfred nodded. "Thank you."

Francis placed a hand on Alfred's shoulder. "We shall be leaving now." He bowed to the king before he led Alfred out of the throne room.

* * *

Hello this is Through the Loop aka theotherhappyone and Iseal.

Thank you for reading this, we will try to have the next chapter up in a timely manner.

Hope you enjoyed reading this. Please R&R

We would like to know how we are doing, and how we could improve.

Thanks again

P.S. In this story's RP theotherhappyone is Arthur and Iseal is Alfred

-Through the Loop


	2. Chapter 2

So we would like to thank you are all the follows, favorites, and reviews. They made our day each time we got a new one!

* * *

Arthur woke up. Still fifteen, still a prince, and still fascinated. Every now and then, he would watch the new recruits train from his window. Oliver came in once and watched with him. "Got a crush?" He teased.

"Nonsense, we're both boys!" Was his reply. It wasn't until that morning though, that he had decided to take part in the happenings below. He had combat training as well, and was allowed to take part in the knights' training.

He entered the sunny court yard, covering his eyes from the sunlight with his arm.

"Good morning, mon prince." Francis waved from across the sparing yard. Next to him stood the young boy, who bowed his head to the prince with respect. "Are you here to train with us today?"

"I am." Arthur pulled on a pair of leather gloves. "It has been some time since I've had a good brawl."

"Is that so?" Francis smiled. "Did you want to help with the younger knights? They could use the practice." The royal guard offered.

"If they think they can handle me." He said with a cocky grin.

"The boys can handle themselves, though I'm sure they will find you to be quite the challenge." Francis smiled, his hand resting on Alfred's shoulder. "Boys!" Francis called. The four rushed to the captain's front, standing at ready. "Each of you are to duel with the prince, until he is satisfied." He turned to Arthur. "Pick one of the four, if you will."

"Who thinks they can take it? I'm pretty good with a blade."

Ivan stepped forward. "I can take you."

Arthur raised his blade. "Alright then." He smiled. "Come at me then."

Ivan nodded with a smile on his face, drawing his own blade from its sheath. He didn't last more than three minutes before the prince had the boy on the ground.

"Gracious... What have you had these knights training on Francis?"

Francis frowned. "I told you they could use the practice."

"I can help you if you'd like... Anybody else?"

"Yao, how about you give it a try?" Francis suggested."Now Arthur, try to help them, don't just beat them."

"Of course... Now that I understand what you want." Arthur observed the boy who stood before him. "You're agile... I'm guessing you strategy relies more on speed and momentum rather than strength. A lighter weapon would do well for you."

Yao nodded and took a fighting stance. His eyes sharpened; he was prepared for a fight. He had watched how the prince moved, so now he could predict some of his moves.

"Come on now, don't be shy." Arthur grinned. Within thirty minutes, he had them all compromised and heavily criticized. "Keep that in mind. You're all skilled, just not well rounded." He tapped his chin. "Though I believe..." He looked to Alfred. "I have one left." He raised his blade. "Let us see what you have."

Francis cut in. "Non, I don't believe that would be the best of ideas as of this moment." He pushed the tip of Arthur's blade away. "It is much too dangerous."

Arthur glance back and forth between them and some other knights muttered from behind them. "If he doesn't fight how will he improve?" He pulled Francis closer. "What exactly is wrong?" He noticed Alfred deflate, and Arthur felt bad for implying something was 'wrong' with him.

Francis glanced between the prince and the young knight. "You have seen firsthand what he can do, and you have also seen his limitations. What I am worried about is either him overpowering you, or his strength giving out."

Alfred raised his head. "I-I want to try... I want to improve. Please, Francis?"

"This is against my better judgment, but I suppose... But if I tell you to stop," He looked at both of the boys. "You had damn well listen."

They looked at each other, then at Francis. Arthur looked at Alfred. "Sounds like you need to work on controlling your strength I suppose..." He pointed his blade at the other. "Let's begin." He smiled "Your footing is already wrong."

Alfred frowned, feeling like he had already lost. "Sorry." He mumbled under his breath, changing his stance and correcting his footing. He brushed his blade with Arthur's, getting a feel for his opponent.

Arthur smiled. "It's fine... Just remember your training." Their weapons clang together with his first strike. Arthur whipped his blade around and met metal again, everything was going smoothly. Alfred had corrected his footing but didn't look entirely confident. He was controlling himself well until one strike got through his blade before he could parry, and stopped right next to his ear, cutting a piece of his hair. Arthur was in no way ready for what happened next.

Alfred's body acted on its own, he couldn't feel himself anymore, everything was dark. This feeling, it has happened before. His blade moved faster than it had been; he was able to ward off Arthur's blade to the side, giving him an opening. With speed and grace the pommel of Alfred's sword connected with Arthur's stomach, sending him stumbling to the ground.

Arthur fell on his back side, the wind completely gone out of him. His eyes went wide, and in a moment, Alfred was on top of him. Was this really the same boy who was fighting with incorrect footing and blushed like mad at a simple compliment? Francis grabbed for Alfred, pulling him off of the prince. Gilbert held back the other knights from interfering. "Stop!" Francis called, Alfred thrashed back and forth like his life depended on it. "Alfred stop!" Arthur stared wide eyed.

"What's...going on?"

Francis held the boy tightly, "Alfred, Alfred calm down. Everything is alright mon cher. There is no need for you to fret." He attempted, "He- I'm sorry Arthur. Are you alright, are you hurt?"

Arthur watched as Alfred stopped thrashing and blinked a few times. "Wh...-what happened?" Alfred said, he voice weak.

Arthur watched the other boy with wide eyes. "What the bloody Hell was that?" He muttered.

"I- Did I hurt you?" Alfred glanced at Arthur his eyes full of sadness. "I'm sorry." He collapsed in Francis's arms.

Francis lifted the boy from the ground, cradling him in his arms.

Arthur stared wide eyed. "I knew he was strong but...you didn't say he turned into a monster!" Antonio helped Arthur up off of the ground. The other knights stared; apparently this was a first occurrence for them as well. "Where did you get this kid again?!" He noticed Alfred look away as if he was ashamed. And were those tears? "He's completely different from a moment ago...what's wrong with him?"

Suddenly a slap landed on the prince's face. His eyes went wide and he turned to look at the offender. Feliciano stood there with stern eyes, the others stared at him in awe at what he had done.

Feliciano balled his fists. "I don't care if you're a prince or not; think about what you say! He didn't mean to! You have no clue what he may have been through and no idea what's going on! Don't you DARE call him a monster!"

"Stop." Ludwig muttered, pulling Feliciano back toward the group.

"That's not right!" The boy called at the prince, his voice cracking.

Arthur stared at everybody around him. There was complete silence aside from Ludwig trying to calm the younger boy. He looked back at Alfred, then at Francis. "Does my father know about this?"

Francis nodded. "Yes he does."

Arthur looked at him. "I don't believe you...but I won't say anything. I hope you know what you're doing Francis." He looked at Alfred again. "What happened?"

"I-I don't know." He stuttered, his voice sounding weaker.

Arthur cocked an eyebrow. "What do you mean you don't know? You don't remember?"

"I black out. I don't know why..." He averted his eyes.

Francis cut in. "Something inside him takes over when he has reason to fear for his life. Usually he is fine during training because he knows it's fake, but your skill must have scared him." Francis paused to gather his thoughts. "He becomes stronger, more agile, and fiercer. He cannot seem to control it, but we are working on it together." He shifted Alfred's body, trying to find an easier way to hold him up. "This is why I didn't want you to fight him...I wasn't sure how he'd react." Francis looked at Feliciano. "Now I know you were only looking after your friend, but there are punishments for what you have done boy."

Feliciano looked down. "Right...I accept them..." He looked at the prince and bowed. "I'm sorry...I wasn't thinking...but I don't regret saying what I said." He finished with a stern face.

Arthur looked at the red head. "Go easy on him." Was all Arthur could said as he turned and stalked away.

Feliciano tore himself from Ludwig and ran to Alfred. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Thank you for worrying about me...I'm sorry you're in trouble because of this." Alfred looked at him with sorrow in his eyes.

"Do you think you can stand Alfred?" Francis asked.

"I think so..."

Francis set him down. "Feliciano...you are going to have to come with me. I'm sorry boy...I do hope you'll forgive me." His hand pressed on the boys back. "The rest of you can continue with practice."

Feliciano looked at Francis and gulped. "R...Right..." He hung his head and gave the other knights a glance before leaving with Francis. Ludwig watched and gulped. He looked at Gilbert. "What is the punishment for something like that?"

"Usually for raising a hand against the royal family…" He sighed. "Thirty lashes. But Feliciano is so small...I'm sure he'll find an alternative punishment."

"Or at least fewer lashes." Antonio added.

Ludwig chewed his lip. "Do they...remove his shirt for lashes?"

"Usually, but he may not even get the lashes."

Ludwig paled. "Of course...well." He cleared his throat. "Let's continue our training."

Gilbert placed his hand on Ludwig's shoulder. "Everything is going to be alright."

"Never mind." Ludwig said coldly. "Let's just keep going."

Arthur did feel bad for Feliciano's punishment. He was only defending his friend. And perhaps Arthur shouldn't have said such things about the boy. He sighed, looking out his window again. Francis came to talk to him a few minutes later. "Did you hear me Francis? I'm going to be a terrible king...I think I need to go apologize." He turned to Francis with a worried expression plastered on his face; he was wearing nearly nothing again as the sun set past his window.

"Well you recognized your mistake didn't you?" Not many people can do that...I didn't punish him...he was so young and small...I couldn't bring myself to do it..."

"Good...I would feel awful otherwise. But I still want to...apologize...what's with the face Francis?"

"Sorry...I'm only...I'm sorry I put you in danger earlier."

"That wasn't your fault; I ignored your advice... It was my fault if anything...I'm going to apologize. First to Feliciano." He put a cloak on before exiting and making his way to the knight's chambers. "Thank you Francis...I would be a terrible person, if you had never reminded me to have a conscience."

Francis bowed his head. "Did you want me to go with you?"

"Only if you feel the need. I feel like it would be more sincere if I went on my own though." He trudged down the stairs without looking back and soon found himself in the knight's quarters. Names were carved in small wooden plaques next to each door. He took a breath in front of Feliciano and Ludwig's room. "Feliciano? Ludwig?" He called. No answer. "Are you in there?" Nothing. He pursed his lips. "I'm coming in!" He called, and opened the door without a thought.

Feliciano was sitting in a chair with Ludwig behind him, examining his back to make sure he hadn't been hurt, the red head's shirt was thrown on a nearby bed. But Feliciano was not a he, the loose bandaged over her chest revealed that. Feliciano blushed and grabbed a blanket, covering her breasts. "I can explain! Please don't tell anyone!" She said franticly as Arthur stared.

"I...wha...it..." Arthur blushed. "This group is just...f...full of surprises isn't it?...You're pretending to be a boy?" He twitched as he met Ludwig's wide eyes. "I...only came to apologize for earlier...but I guess you're not hurt huh... I'll...go then." He started closing the door, his face still red. "I-I won't tell anyone." He stuttered before closing the door completely.

* * *

Alfred sat alone on his bed mulling over the events of the day. How did he allow himself to do that? And to the prince! He had just stated improving. He sighed, falling back into his bed, head colliding with his soft pillows.

There was a quiet knock on the door. "Alfred?"

"Come in." He called from his place on the bed.

Prince Arthur entered, shutting the door behind him. "Thank God you answered."

"Is something wrong?" Alfred stood up and bowed to the prince, then blushed as he noticed his own undress.

"Nothing... I just wanted to apologize for what I said earlier." Arthur leaned against the door with a sigh.

"No, you shouldn't be sorry. I-I hurt you. I can't control myself. I-" He stopped.

"... That didn't give me the right to call you a monster... Feliciano was right in what s-he did."

Alfred looked to the ground. "But I am a monster." He clenched his fists to his side. "I don't remember what I do when I black out, but-" He sighed. "I-I can't stand it!"

Arthur looked at him sadly. "Well... That's why you're learning to control it right?" He sighed and looked away. "Don't get down on yourself. You're an amazing person."

"How can you say that? You don't even know me."

He blushed. "Sometimes... I can just tell... You're just... I don't know..." He sighed. "I'm sorry... But listen... If you need anything... erm..." He held his hand out for the boy to shake. "I'm right here... So... Friends?"

Alfred skeptically shook the others hand. "I- well... Thank you."

Arthur cocked an eyebrow. "What? You seem like you think I can't be trusted."

"I-It's not that, it's just that... I ..." He looked away. "I could hurt you..."

"Well...Kings have to be brave right? ... and so do knights, so keep a stiff upper lip."

"Right." A small smile formed on his lips as he took the prince's hand.

Arthur smiled at him; a tad nervous, he would admit. "Good luck..." He turned and left.

* * *

They didn't see each other for some time, until they crossed paths in the library a month later. Nothing had changed, Alfred was still training, and still lacking a roommate and Feliciano was still a boy to everybody but Ludwig and the prince. When they saw each other in the library, they talked for some time, not about anything in particular.

After that they met two other times, and it had become something of an unspoken ritual to meet in the royal library's fiction section, where they would sit on the window seat each night after training and lessons, talking about mindless things. By the time Arthur really took the time to consider how odd it was, Alfred had been there for half a year and winter had rolled over the kingdom.

One particularly cold day, the two were sitting next to the fireplace rather than the window.

"Say...Alfred when did this become a regular occurrence I wonder?"

Alfred smiled. "It seemed to happen out of nowhere huh?" He leaned his head back against the wall.

"Well I can't say I don't enjoy it...I will say I never expected us to become so familiar with each other." He smiled.

"I know what you mean." He pulled his knees to his chest. "It's kind of chilly in here." He said letting out a large puff of air.

"Yes, I must say the palace is miserable during the winter." He sighed and yawned. "I think it's about time to find some extra blankets..." He looked at the other. "Shall we go on an adventure?"

Alfred nodded, pushing himself to his feet, "Definitely time for blankets," He held out his hands to help the other up.

Arthur took them and stood. "We could always ask the maids to get some...but where's the fun in that." He whispered with a grin

"There is no fun in that." He laughed. "Do you have any clue as to where they'd be?"

"Huh...there is a big hallway near the servants quarters with a bunch of rooms used for storage... It's kind of creepy down there but I think it's the most likely choice."

"Creepy how?..." He looked at the other with fearful eyes.

Arthur grinned. "You scared of ghosts?"

"N-no. Of course not!"

Arthur grinned quietly. "Then let's go..." He turned and went for the hallway. Alfred was so young and childish; it was funny...and a little cute...

Alfred trailed behind the prince wearily. "It's really dark..." His eyes darted back and forth between the walls and what was in front of them. The hall was cold and narrow, with tall stone walls surrounding them. "I should be used to this by now..."

"Oh you're fine. The palace can be a bit scary, especially at first. Plus...most castles..." He paused for dramatic effect, then turned and looked at Alfred with a sly grin, waving his fingers towards him. "Are haunted..."

"You're lying!" He stepped back. "T-that's not true... Is it?" He could already feel his hands shaking. He closed his eyes and balled his hands into fists. 'I can do this.' He encouraged himself.

Arthur looked at him, a little worried, before reaching out for the other's hand. "I was only kidding with you Alfred... Don't psyche yourself out okay? We don't want you blacking out."

"I won't..." He took a deep breath. "No ghosts?" He laughed nervously.

"Of course not. I was just being silly. I have never even been in here before. To be honest I'm a bit scared of the dark...and it's dusty...it feels creepy, but I can assure you there are no ghosts."

Alfred gripped his hand. "I'll protect you!" He said, even though he was half frightened to death himself.

Arthur laughed aloud. "Oh I'll never be afraid again." He said sarcastically. "You're quiet the character Alfred."

Alfred chuckled. "Of course you'll never be afraid again. I am a hero you know?"

"Of course you are." Arthur laughed. Before he knew it they were in the hallway, and entering the first closet. Arthur poked around for a moment before spotting a pile of thick blankets atop a chest. "There!" He said excitedly

"You found them?" Alfred peeked through the door too. "How many should we take?"

"I'll take two for myself," Arthur glanced at Alfred. "Take as many as you want."

"I guess I'll take two also." He smiled sheepishly.

"Good." Arthur handed Alfred two blankets and then took two for himself. "Off we go the-AH!" He yelled and dropped the blankets he carried when something in the corner fell over and landed with a crash, a cold mist filled the air it seemed, and the door squeaked shut.

Alfred clung to Arthur. "What was that?!" His eyes darted left to right.

"I...I don't know..." He called out into the darkness. "This isn't funny!" He yelled. No answer, only the slide of crate across the floor. Arthur shivered and whispered to Alfred. "Do you remember what direction the door is in?"

"I-I think it's this way." Alfred pulled the other until his hand brushed against the cold stone of the wall. "I think we can feel our way."

Arthur gulped and pressed them both to the nearest wall, feeling for the door. More noises came form the darkness as Arthur groped for the door. He whispered. "Alfred...I found the door; I'm going to open it, run on three okay?"

He nodded. "Yeah." He held tight onto Arthur's hand.

"One...Two...THREE!" He opened the door and they both bolted away, without the blankets. Needless to say, they didn't mind asking the maids for blankets after that.

Alfred was still shaking with fear. "What do you think that was? Was it truly a ghost?!"

"I don't know...Maybe somebody was trying to scare us!" The two had retreated to Alfred's room.

"Maybe... but who?" Alfred hadn't let go of the prince's hand since they ran away from the utility room.

"I don't know...But I'm fine with believing that somebody was in there..."

"Me too." He pouted. "Why would someone do that?"

"Oh, I don't know...some people think that kind of thing is funny..."

"I guess you're right but still…" He crossed his arms, finally releasing the others hand.

It was only then Arthur realized they had been holding hands. He brushed the thought aside and stood with a sigh. "Well I best be off to bed." He said lightly.

But he had no idea how much that day would eventually mean to him.

December 3rd, half a year of knowing each other and the day they first held hands.

* * *

Thank you for sticking with us thus far. Hope you enjoyed reading. We will try to get the next chapter up soon!  
If you fine any content or grammar mistakes please feel free to point it out.

Thank you so so so much.

Please R&R, the more follows, favorites, and reviews, the faster the chapters will come. (When people do this, we have more motivation; this way, we know people like our story and want to continue to read it.)

-Through the Loop


	3. Chapter 3

Alfred walked through the halls, fingers trailing against the cold walls. He was tired; he'd been training all day. This day in particular was harder than most. It was cold, wet, and the wind sent chills that would cause him to shake for moments on end. Oh how he hated winter.

Spring sure was taking its time rolling around, and he was growing sick of the chill. He let out a long sigh as he turned the corner, running right into somebody.

"Watch it." Oliver's voice was full of distaste.  
"Oh, sorry…" Alfred looked up, seeing Prince Oliver before him. "Forgive me." He bowed his head.  
Oliver cocked an eyebrow, taking his hand away from the library door. "You're a new knight right? What are you doing in these corridors?"  
"I am just heading to the library to read..." He stated. For some reason, he didn't want to tell the man before him about his meet-ups with the younger prince.  
"And Francis gave you permission to be here? I trust you never take the books from the library to your dorm, correct?"

Alfred blinked, he had never been told this. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't know."  
Oliver rolled his eyes and entered the library, gone in an instant.  
Alfred waited a few moments before he entered. He had never met the older prince in person; he'd only seen him from afar. This was definitely not what he expected, though.

Arthur was huddled by the fireplace with a novel Alfred didn't recognize. "What are you reading? I haven't seen that book before." He asked as he walked up to the Prince.

Arthur slammed the book shut. "It's nothing, very boring." He placed the book down on the other side of him, underneath the blankets that covered his legs.

Alfred moved towards the fire in an attempt to get warm, draping the other blankets over his shoulders. "Okay then…" Alfred gave him a curious look.

Arthur sighed. "You look exhausted… I can't believe it's still this cold."

"Yeah, I can't stand this weather; I cannot wait for winter to be over." To prove his point he shuddered once more.

"You're later than usual. Did training go longer that it regularly does?" He questioned.

The other boy ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Not for the rest of them… I-I haven't been showing much improvement lately, so Francis is having me put in extra time." He allowed himself to fall back against the stone wall that was propping Arthur up. "That and I ran into your brother on the way here…"

Arthur cast his eyes down. "I'm sorry to hear that. You saw Oliver?"

Alfred nodded. "Yes, and I feel like he doesn't like me all that much."

"Oh nonsense. Oliver likes everybody. He's just a little shy is all." Arthur pulled the covers up over his shoulders.  
"If you say so… But I'm not too sure…"

"What did he say? ... He sometimes defaults to how he thinks a prince would act because he isn't too sure how to act around new people."

Alfred went on to explain the happenings between himself and the prince.

"That's rather odd; he usually doesn't do that… He's nice though… We're very close actually."

"… I had a brother. I don't go a day without missing him." A sad smiled placed itself onto Alfred's lips.

"You did? … Did he… Die in the attack?"

"Yes, he did, along with my mother." He let out a depressed sigh. "I'm glad you have such good relations with your brother."

"… Yes… I'm glad for it too…" Arthur sighed. "The winter needs to end soon… It's too dark." He attempted to change the subject, sensing Alfred didn't really want to talk about it.

"I agree; I never did like winter." Alfred yawned and rubbed his tired eyes.

"You look like you need some serious rest… Why don't you turn in early?"

Alfred pouted, and then turned his head to face the fire, hiding the blush that formed on his face. "That may be a good idea, but I like being here, talking to you."

"Well, I'm glad you enjoy my company." At that moment, Oliver rounded the corner, spotting the two boys sitting by the fireplace.

Alfred looked down and played with his fingers. "Oh hey…"

Arthur smiled at his brother. "Oliver, what brings you here? I thought you weren't feeling well today?" He questioned.

Oliver glanced at Alfred. "I was, but I felt like I needed to move around before the meeting."

"Ah, I see… You've met Alfred right?" He gestured to his friend beside him.

Oliver nodded. "Yes, I do believe we have met."

"Right, you remember him then. Alfred had become a good friend of mine." He smiled. "I have decided to make an effort to get to know all of the new recruits…" He sighed. "If I don't have the humanity to do that, what kind of a king would I end up being?"

Oliver smiled. "How many times have I told you before, you're going to be a great king, Arthur." He gave his brother an encouraging pat, and then turned his eyes to Alfred. "I saw you in the throne room once before. You're the strong one." His head cocked to the side curiously.

Alfred blushed and Arthur laughed. "Yes, he is but I'm afraid he's awfully bashful."

Oliver chuckled. "I haven't had the chance to properly introduce myself. I am Prince Oliver." He bowed to the boy politely. Alfred stared; this was definitely a different view of the prince.

Arthur waited for Alfred to respond before stuttering, "Oh… Alfred you don't need permission to speak."

"R-right, sorry… I spaced out. I am Alfred, no title." He bowed, trying not to expose his surprise at the other prince's politeness.

"Oh, Arthur, as I mentioned before, Father wanted our presence at the meeting; it starts in... five minutes?"

Arthur's eyes went wide. "I completely forgot!" He scrambled to his feet. "Good night Alfred!" He straightened his jacket while running out of the library, Oliver following close behind. "I swear Oliver, what would I do without you?"

"Without me, you'd forget about the meetings." He chuckled as they raced down the halls.

Alfred sat there for a few moments. That happened so quickly. He was alone… as always… He shook the thoughts from his head. "Ugh." He muttered. There was no point in sitting there now. That's when he noticed Arthur left his book. It looked like it was relatively old. He supposed he would return it to Arthur later that night.

He cleaned up the mess that was left behind; he always felt bad when they left it for the maids. After folding the blankets, he placed them in an out-of-the way corner before taking Arthur's book and leaving the library.

* * *

The two princes were not late, but they were the last to arrive. As they entered the conference room, they ducked their heads and made their ways to the seats next to Francis. He glanced at them. "Good thing you arrived, any later and the king would have had your heads." He whispered before the king began, calling order to the room. The princes grinned at each other briefly.

The meeting was boring at best, and they were both glad to call it done. Arthur let out a sigh. "So… What have you been doing Oliver? I haven't see you around lately… what on earth do you occupy yourself with during the winter?"

"I have been studying and such, nothing much."

"Studying what?" He questioned hoping to get a more descriptive answer.

"I have been studying politics and foreign relations, so that when you are king, I can help guide you in the right direction." He stated plainly.

"I appreciate that… You'd be a better king than I any day."

"No. How many times do I have to tell you, you will be a fine king, a great king, you just need some time to get the ropes tied together."

"I'm trying…" He sighed. "I do hope it stops snowing by my birthday…"

"Is your birthday really so soon?" He smiled teasingly. "And sixteen at that? But you're only just a baby."

Arthur blushed. "I'm not a baby… Young… But I cannot afford to be a baby."

"So you don't feel ready to be king just yet? You don't suppose you could lead this country to glory?" He spread his arms wide to emphasize his point.

Arthur sighed. "Well… I'm still trying to grip it… I don't understand what is going on with the world… I don't know the issues or the causes. I am lost."

"You will get it with practice, I promise. I will help you." He smiled.

"Well… All of this confuses me… I think I might turn in early tonight… I should apologize to Alfred for abandoning him so suddenly."

"Do you meet with that boy often?" He smirked. "I knew you had a crush."

Arthur turned to his brother with wide eyes. "What?! No! no… nononononono!" He blushed. "That's crazy, we're both boys, that's not… that's not normal!"

"Then why do you blush like a bride at the thought?" He chuckled at his brother's discomfort.

"Because that's just… weird… Boys don't… do that? … What about… Sex?... How would that work?!"

"There's more than one way to have sex, my brother." He chuckled as Arthur's mouth dropped. "You're so young."

Arthur stuttered for a moment. "You… Don't leave me hanging like that! What?!" A few people looked at them and he covered his mouth. "Maybe someplace more private…"

Oliver rolled his eyes. "I'll leave it to your imagination." He walked away with a small wave and a bow.

A blush began to creep onto Arthur's face as he chased after his brother. "Honestly Oliver!"

"No no, if you can't figure it out, I wouldn't want to destroy your innocence." He gave a sly smile and chuckled.

Arthur pursed his lips. "But… but… My imagination would be worse!... My curiosity is piqued now, you wanker!" He whispered hoarsely. "Just tell meee!"

"Well, when you ask like that." He smiled pretending to think about it. "Nope." Again he turned and walked away from the curious boy.

"Oliveeer!" Arthur whined. "Please?" He would never admit that… He really was interested, mainly because for some reason, he found the idea of having sex with a man almost more appealing than the idea of being with a woman.

"No, I don't think I will tell you. You should head to bed, it's late."

Arthur pouted. "You've never held back on me before… erm... If I told you my idea, would you tell me if I'm right?"

"Let us just leave it to your imagination, let it run wild." He opened the door to his chambers. "Goodnight, my little brother, or perhaps you're not so little anymore, being curious of such crude things."

"Don't say that!" Arthur blushed. "It's… How did you find out anyways?!"

"I know a lot of things Arthur. Now go to bed." He chuckled as he closed the door.

Arthur pursed his lips but didn't argue; instead he began treading back to his room. The worst thing was that now his imagination WAS running wild! He sat on his bed and took off his shoes with a hug, sprawling himself on his bed, his shirt half open. "Ugh." He looked out the window at the dark sky. He could figure it out, but why did he want to? That stuff was gross… Right?... right… and yet for some reason, a man's legs wrapped around his waist seemed a lot more appealing then… Nope! He stopped his mind from thinking that. He was not going to go there.

* * *

Arthur lay in bed for a while, until there was a soft knock at his door, barely audible. He sat up. "Yes? Come in." Only Francis would come this late he figured.

"It's me, Alfred." He opened the door slowly. "I brought your book; I didn't wake you up did I?"

"Oh, no you didn't wake me…" He glanced at the book, he had completely forgotten about it. "Thank you… I shouldn't be leaving that thing around…"

"Yeah, do you want it? Or should I set it on your desk? What do you want me to do with it?" Alfred stood at the door awkwardly.

"Oh, just bring it here, are you feeling alright?" Arthur held out his hand for the book. "Go ahead and come in, we're friends aren't we?"

Alfred nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine; I just hope you're not mad at me for having your book. I didn't look through it… Though I admit I was kinda curious…" He rambled on as he handed the book to the other.

"What? Oh no, you're fine… and the book is nothing really." Arthur took it from the other. "Sorry for just running off like that." He couldn't help but be embarrassed about the previous events, even though he knew Alfred didn't know he had been fantasizing just a moment ago about what sexual contact with a man would be like. A sudden thought crossed his mind… Alfred. A blush exploded on his face and he cleared his throat. "Say… What were you saying earlier about how your training has been going?"

"I told you, didn't I?" He let out a huff. "It hasn't been going." He sat down next to Arthur on the bed. "I haven't improved, not one bit. I don't know why; I really have been trying."

Arthur frowned. "Not at all?... What has Francis been doing exactly? Maybe it's time to switch methods?"

"I've been fighting, working on my strength; we have been switching up almost every day!" Alfred exclaimed. "I wonder if Francis will just give up on me…"

"Don't get discouraged, that could prevent you from moving forward."

"Maybe… I-I want to make Francis proud, but…" Alfred sighed leaning back onto the bed.

Arthur let out a sigh. "You look exhausted… Just keep trying…" He wrapped his blanket around himself and gave another one to Alfred. He chuckled, "Remember when we tried to get these?"

Alfred nodded. "And you said this place wasn't haunted."

"Well… We still don't know what it was… We can't really confirm that it was a ghost or not, can we?"

"You're so skeptical." He chuckled. "It was probably a ghost. I mean what else could it have been?!"

"A prank?... I don't know…" He laughed. "We were scared to death though… SO I would feel kind of lame if it wasn't a ghost."

"Yeah… Though-" A chill ran down his spine. "That's such a scary thought…"

"Ghosts aren't scary… There're just sad… They want something… I wonder how we could find out what it wants."

"I don't know." Alfred said with a low sigh.

"Should we try to find out?... That makes me a little nervous though…"

"…" Alfred bit his lower lip.

"You really don't like ghosts do you?" Just then the door rattled again.

Alfred found himself grabbing Arthur's arm, pulling himself close to the other boy. "What was that!?"

"I… I… Don't know." Another rattle and a bang, Arthur began to cling to Alfred as well.  
"Whatever it is, it's right outside my room. Did you lock my door?"

Alfred jumped to his feet, and dashed to the door, clicking the lock shut, and then sliding to the ground with a fearful shudder. "Remind me to lock the door next time."

"How was I supposed to know something was going to be outside my door?!"

"I-I don't know." Alfred took a deep breath. "Can I stay here for the night?..."

Arthur blushed, of course this would happen the night he was having strange fantasies. "Yes, of course, that would be fine." What else was he supposed to say, when he looked at those puppy eyes?

With that answer, Alfred let out a sigh of relief; he wouldn't have to walk back to his room alone. "Thanks." He stepped over to the bed, sitting down next to Arthur. "Things have been pretty strange lately huh?"

"Considering everything that has happened since our new knights came in, I'm pretty sure nothing will ever phase me again."

"That's very true…"

Arthur blinked. "So you know then?"

"Know what?"

"About Felic… Never mind." Arthur stopped himself, before he could give the knight away.

"You mean Feliciano? What's up with him?" Alfred asked.

"It's nothing…" There was another rattle at the door, Arthur let out a small yelp.

Alfred clung tighter to the Prince. "Heh, some knight huh? I can't even protect my prince."

"Oh nonsense. You have a phobia; your reaction is perfectly acceptable."

"I shouldn't be afraid. Knights should be brave." Alfred sulked and glanced out the window.

"It should be the same with princes right?" The two boys could hear more banging and even heavy breathing on the other side. "… It would be nice… If we are able to live through the night."

"R-right." Alfred wrapped himself into the blankets and moved so he could lean his back against the wall.

Arthur sat next to him as the door kept on rattling. He pulled the blankets over his head, hiding himself from whatever was out there. "We're pathetic." He muttered.

"Just a bit." Alfred couldn't help but laugh.

Arthur pressed his lips together. "Again I will ask; should we go see what it is?"

"Maybe a good idea…" Alfred glanced at the door.

Arthur nodded. "We can't cower in here forever…" He tiptoed to the door, stood in front of it, took a deep breath, and pushed it open, then released the breath. "… Nothing's out here…"

"Nothing?" Alfred peaked just in time to see a hint of black clothing pass around the corner.

"… A ghost?" Arthur questioned, not seeing the clothing. "Only ghosts disappear like that, right?"

Alfred took off down the hall. "There was a person!" He called to Arthur.

Arthur looked up. "Somebody?... But I didn't hear… Wait!" He chased the other around the corner. "Alfred wait! Don't run off on your own like that! It's dangerous!" He called, but soon, the knight was out of his sight.

"I'll be right back!" Arthur could barely hear the voice. He clenched his fists. "That's a bad idea Alfred! When stuff like this happens the worst thing you can do is be-" Arthur stopped; he didn't know which way the boy went. "… Alone… Damnit!"

As Alfred pursued the person, he came to a dead end; his eyes darted around for something, anything that he could find to tell him he wasn't just seeing things. 'Where'd it go?' He asked himself. He could hear Arthur shouting from behind him, but something moving caught his eye. He stepped forward to inspect it. It seemed relatively normal… but then its shape began to contort, growing in size, spreading its wings… Alfred's eyes went wide. "…D… Dragon?!" The beast released a burning fire from its nostrils. Alfred was frozen in fear, it was definitely a dragon.

Alfred searched himself for a weapon when he came to his senses, but found none on his person. He cursed under his breath, and then questioned his next set of actions. Before he knew it, the dragon charged at him. Staring dumbfounded, he could feel himself slowly fading. 'Stop, stop, stop' He urged himself.

The wings spread menacingly and Alfred heard a blood curling scream; he would never know if it was his own or that of another, because that is when he blacked out.

* * *

When he came to, he was in Arthur's room. "Why?" He checked himself to see if he was still alive. "What happened?"

Arthur was leaning over him; he adjusted the covers around the younger boy. "You… got a little too scared… It was nothing though…"

"Nothing? But the dragon?" He sat up, pressing his fingers to his temples when pain shot through his head.

"Dragon?... Alfred there was nothing there… You were attacking Oliver when I found you; he said he came out after hearing noises… I think you may have imagined it and scared yourself."

Alfred looked over seeing Oliver in the corner of the room wearing a worried face. "But- there was…" Alfred looked down at the blankets clenching his fists around the ends of the blanket. "I swear, there was..."

"It has been a long day Alfred… You're exhausted and paranoid… Poor kid… Get some rest."

"I-"Alfred leaned back and closed his eyes. "Fine."

Arthur sighed. "Alfred… does that dragon… Still haunt you?"

"I used to hear its calls, but never before have I seen it…" Alfred looked over at the other.

"… Right… Go to sleep then… Just stay here, there's nothing to be afraid of anymore."

Alfred nodded before he drifted off to sleep.

Arthur sighed. "Poor boy… Are you alright Oliver?... Don't worry about him; he gets really weak after blacking out… Probably won't happen again for quite some time."

"I seem to recall that piece of information for the first day I met him. I do hope he will be alright." Oliver smiled to himself.

"Right… But are you alright? He can get pretty bad when he blacks out."

"Yes, I'm fine, he didn't touch me."

"Honestly?... Well okay… I'm just… Going to let him stay here tonight."

"Alright, good night brother." Oliver stood and left.

Arthur watched his brother go, and then sighed before lying down, looking at Alfred. "… You're quite something Alfred." Arthur lay down next to the boy, but he wasn't able to sleep much, instead he just watched over his friend. It was the first time the two boys spent the night together, though it wasn't the traditional way. The moment wouldn't leave Arthur's mind for a long while.

The next few days, the palace was busy with workers. Every person had a job. Arthur didn't have a moment to spare. He couldn't meet Alfred in the library as often. Alfred was also busy. He and Francis have been working hard for his improvement. Finally the day came. It was Arthur's sixteenth birthday.

* * *

Hey guys, we are back! Sorry it took so long for the update, we've been busy with school and such.

But lucky for us, we have a head start on chapter 4, and 5. :D

Please, pretty please with a cherry on top, please R&R they make us soooo happy, and that way we are more inclined to update in a timely manner. I don't think there is much else...

Oh we sadly do not own Hetalia. The story is ours, the characters are not.


	4. Chapter 4

Arthur missed meeting with Alfred, and he was worried as well, not having checked to see if he was alright after that night. He hadn't told Francis about the encounter with Oliver in the hallway.

Francis couldn't help but wonder about that night. He noticed Alfred had been more tense than usual, especially in the presence of Oliver. The guard would keep Arthur informed about Alfred's progress, or lack thereof. Sadly, there hadn't been as much improvement as Francis had hoped. He had high hopes for the youngster, but he wasn't even a knight yet, and even with his abilities, he was falling behind.

Francis wondered if bringing Alfred to the palace was a good idea. He was a great kid, but maybe being here at the palace was more of a hindrance to his abilities. The fact that he felt like he needed to suppress himself didn't help either. It was almost like he felt like a monster… Regardless, he wasn't doing well in the days training. The trainees had been invited to Arthur's birthday celebration, but after some time and assessment, Francis dismissed the others to get ready for it, and kept Alfred behind to talk with him. He let out a sigh. "… Alfred… What's going on?"

Alfred looked at the ground. "I don't know… I-" He let out a sigh; he was letting the man down. This is what he didn't want to do. "I'm sorry. I'm trying, I really am, but I can't…"

"You can't what, Alfred? Knights need to be brave, fearless, even." He sighed. "This doesn't have to control you… And I know I have no idea what it's like, but Alfred… What is it you want?" He crouched in front of the boy. "I know it seems far away now, you're still only twelve… but on your fourteenth birthday, you will be asked to take the knights oath before you finish your training… Do you want to be a knight, Alfred?"

Alfred could feel his hands shaking. "I-I really do want to be a knight." Alfred rubbed his eyes, trying to stop himself from tearing up. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to disappoint you."

"Why Alfred?... Tell me why you want to be a knight?"

"I want to protect people." Alfred took a deep breath.

"… Then come on." He stood. "You're more than that beast…"

That's when Oliver came outside. "…Francis." He nodded at the other. "I heard Alfred's training isn't going well..."

"He will improve; we are just hitting a small bump in the road." He gave the prince a smile and patted Alfred's back. There was something off about the prince today. "Is there something you need?"

"Nothing… I really just wanted to help… I don't know what it is but… I'm fond of this kid… And I think I have an idea to get him out of this rut…"

"Really? And what would that be?"

He looked at Alfred with a kind smile. "Arthur is worried about you… You know?" He sighed and took off his cloak. "Come on…"

"Is it alright? Francis?" Alfred asked, hoping for dismissal from the captain.

Francis paused glancing between the two. Oliver waved his hand. "It's fine, even if Francis didn't approve, my word overrides his."

Francis held back his opposition, giving into the prince's will. "Go ahead and go with him Alfred."

"You can stay if you want Francis… but tell me… If he slips… How do I fix it? You calmed him down the first time, didn't you?"

"Is there reason he should slip? That only happens when he fears for his life. But really it's just a calming voice…" He looked at the prince nervously. "If it is alright, I will stay with him until I need to go to the king."

"That is fine." Oliver led Alfred to the battle arena. "I'm going to train you the same way our father trained Arthur and I."

Alfred nodded; he kept eyeing Francis, uncertain on what was expected of him.

Oliver took a training sword from a nearby rack. "… Stop being afraid, Alfred… Control it... Wield it… Let it become a part of you, it doesn't have to be your enemy. Use it. Don't get out of control… Just don't be afraid… You have to be fearless… Not even nervous… Charge me."

The air around was chilled, Alfred took a deep breath before he did as was commanded of him.

Oliver fought back with full force. He threw Alfred to the ground. "Are you afraid?"

Alfred rubbed his sore muscles. "No." He tried to keep his breath steady as he stood up.

"Good." He rolled his shoulders. "Try again then. Francis has been going way too easy on you, boy."

Francis huffed, crossing his arms over his chest as he observed. This time, Alfred went at him with more confidence.

Oliver swept his foot under the other, tripping him. "You'll have to do better than that." He grinned.

Alfred swore under his breath as he hit the ground. He pushed himself back up slowly.

Oliver's fist met his stomach. "Nobody is going to wait up for you; you show weakness, you die." He put his fake blade to the other's neck.

"Right." Alfred straightened, stepping back away from the blade; he brought his own up, connecting with the others blade, pushing it away.

"Now you're getting it." Oliver grinned and their blades clashed again. "Be flexible; strategy doesn't matter in the heat of the moment. Move your body with your opponents, melt, bend, and stretch." Their blades met again and their faces grew close. "Like sex." He snickered and watched Alfred blush before knocking his blade away. "Focus!"

"Sorry." H stuttered, face still flush red. He pushed back against the others blade with a hard force.

Oliver laughed and they continued to fight. Within a few minutes, Oliver pinned Alfred to the ground with the sword next to his ear. "Not good enough! You just died!"

Alfred pushed him off, tapping into his strength.

"Better." Oliver grinned and swung his blade at him.

Alfred was able to evade it; he charged forward, this time getting past Oliver's guard, but waiting behind the block was a second blade. It wasn't for practice, it was sharp, and Alfred ran right into it. Alfred let out a pained yelp and buckled over, gripping his side.

"Too slow." The other slammed the hilt of his blade into Alfred's back. "Scared yet?" He whispered.

Alfred was… He was terrified… He took a breath, before everything went black.

* * *

He awoke in his own room, Francis next to him.

"Good to see you awake… How are you feeling?" The mans voice came.

"I hurt…" Alfred's voice was hoarse. "What happened?"

"You blacked out… But Oliver handled you perfectly, just kept fighting. He… tired you out…"

Alfred breathed slowly, each breath sending pain through his body. "H-he stabbed me…" He gasped.

Francis sighed. "I know… But… I must say I was impressed with how well you stayed in control…" He cleared his throat. "We bandaged you up… It's the best we can do… Are you feeling well enough to be standing? I know you're weak now but… You're expected…"

"I think I can… Maybe for a little bit." He pushed himself up with a pained gasp. "Ahh" He closed his eyes and waited for the pain to subside.

"I'm sorry… Hold on…" Francis sighed and draped a nicer cloak over Alfred's naked shoulders. "I'm sorry about the prince…"

"It's fine… Did you tell Arthur?"

"No… He has been busy… He did ask for you though… A sixteenth birthday is no small ordeal for a prince… Just like a fourteenth for a knight."

"Please don't tell Arthur about this… He loves his brother so much. I don't want to ruin that…"

"It's fine… Arthur should know… but Oliver… Isn't a bad person… He just… His methods are… Interesting."

"Just don't tell him, please."

Francis helped the boy to the ball room.  
"I can walk on my own from here on; I don't want to worry Arthur too much."

"… If you're sure…"

"I am." Alfred scanned the crowd, locating Arthur, who was sitting on the side and nervously playing with the fur on his cape.

Arthur looked up. "Oh… Hello Alfred… You look pale, is something wrong?"

"I umm… I hurt myself during practice today." He suppressed a pained moan.

"Oh no." His brow creased. "Well… You're working hard at least"

"May I take a seat?" Alfred was having trouble standing up by this point, not that he wanted Arthur to know that fact.

"Oh of course, you don't need to ask. How have things been going? I haven't heard from you for a while."

"Things are going pretty well… I have been struggling… The party seems nice, lots of people."

Arthur let out a long sigh. "I don't see the point in these parties."

"It's your birthday! You have to have a party!"

"… This isn't really how I like to celebrate though… Too many people and… I always feel strange at these sorts of things."

"I'm sorry." Alfred rubbed his eyes, feeling the need for sleep.

"… Well… It shouldn't be such a big deal…"

"I guess it's mostly for political reasons." Alfred suggested, motioning to all the people with high standing in society.

"Exactly… It's politics… Not really a birthday. Nobody is here to celebrate me… Just extend their own agendas…" He sighed. "Maybe it's selfish… But why do we have to care about appearances… I don't need all this. There are people in this country starving; there are orphans like you everywhere and… Well this… it all just seems a little pointless, doesn't it?"

"I guess you're right…"

"I shouldn't complain though… Are you sure you're alright?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine." The reminder brought back the pain, causing the blood to leave his cheeks, and he let out a small moan.

"Gracious, what exactly happened?"

I -Umm, well…" He stuttered. "I tripped, and fell into another blade…" He scratched the back of his head. "It's a good thing my skin is so strong, else this would have been a lot worse."

"You what?!" Arthur leaned down. "Where? Is it bad? You're so clumsy… Try and be more careful, Alfred!"

"Ow, careful, that hurts." Alfred gasped.

"Sorry." The prince sighed.

"I wasn't thinking…" Alfred apologized.

"… I worry about you…" Arthur sighed.

"No need to worry, I'll be fine. I have lived through worse." He admitted.

"… Don't say things like that." Arthur mumbled. "It makes me feel awful."

"Don't." He smiled, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. He felt bad for not telling Arthur the truth of how he received the injury.

"… Well… I suppose it can't be helped." He looked around at the crowd.

Oliver approached. "Arthur, what are you doing just standing in a corner? Come on future king, there are princesses to dance with!"

Alfred's stomach dropped when the older prince approached. He attempted to keep his face from showing that fear.

Arthur sighed. "You know I'm no good at dancing."

"Well then, now is the perfect time to learn." Oliver smirked. "Maybe Alfred here could be your partner; then you could have a short warm up before getting to the bachelorettes." He winked at his little brother and chuckled.

Arthur blushed. "What?... Oliver he's a knight!... Knights are not… Dance partners for the royal family… Besides… that wouldn't be acceptable, we would need to find someplace where nobody would see."

"I wouldn't mind dancing… But at this moment I don't think I could." His eyes darted to Oliver, only for a second, but Oliver noticed anyways, sending the boy a smile.

"Right… and he is injured… and we are not to dance with the knights…" The prince argued.

Oliver shrugged. "I would say he is hardly a knight yet, or likely to be… But honestly… I helped in his training tonight… I was very impressed."

"That's right… you did… Thank you for the help." He tried not to allow the prince to detect his distaste.

Oliver grinned at the way Alfred looked so uncomfortable. "Push yourself that hard every time and you'll do great." He pulled his brother away. "Come on… Unless you want to dance with Alfred."

"Go ahead, dance, have fun. I'll just be here." He smiled.

Arthur let out a dissatisfied sigh. "If I must…" Oliver dragged him through the crowed. "Oliver… I was hoping to avoid dancing with any princesses."

"Oh come off it." He yanked the prince to the dance floor. "There are girls here dying to dance with you." He tapped on a young girls shoulder; he introduced Arthur to a girl named Elizabeta. She was a noble's daughter.

"Oh…" He waved at her shyly after giving his brother a glare. Why did he insist on this? "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Oliver smiled and walked away.

"It's nice to meet you, Prince Kirkland." She seemed to be uncomfortable in the dress, as if she was unaccustomed to such clothing.

"Heh… You don't seem like you're fond of these sorts of things either."

"No not really, I don't dance." She smiled. "But thanks for offering. I can give it a try if you'd like."

"I'm not very good at it either I'm afraid. The steps have been drilled into my head but… I never seemed to do them correctly."

"Same," She chuckled.

Arthur caught a glare from his father and cleared his throat. He really didn't want to dance with her. She seemed nice enough, but… though it was just formalities, he thought dancing was romantic… and that just didn't appeal to him. He sighed. "… erm… Seems like our parents are set on it though… So would you like to try?" He held his hand out to the girl.

"Of course, Your highness." She curtsied.

He smiled weakly and bowed as well. He danced. It wasn't enjoyable, but he didn't hate it either.

* * *

Meanwhile, Feliciano approached Alfred. "Are you alright?..."

"I'm fine; just a little accident is all." He smiled, though he had a hard time holding it because he was so tired.

"You kind of look like you're dying." Feliciano laughed. Ludwig shook his head. "Feliciano…"

"I feel like I'm dying." He complained, leaning back slowly. His head was burning up. The cold wall felt amazing.

"Maybe you should go rest?" A look of concern filled Feliciano's face.

"I can't. I am not supposed to leave. None of us are." He sighed, eyes glancing around the party. It truly was a beautiful arrangement; there was an abundance of food, lights and people. The décor was perfectly laid out, making the ball room glow with beauty. But really, Alfred wasn't looking to see the glamorous ball room, he was looking for the prince, for Arthur. He found him dancing with a pretty girl with long brown hair. He let out a sigh; he would have danced with the prince if he'd asked.

The redhead sighed, blowing his short bangs away from his face. "I guess… but maybe a less crowded place would help… The courtyard is part of the festivities… There are still guests… But some open air might do you good."

"I doubt I could make it that far right now." He said.

Feliciano frowned. "I can help you outside if you'd like… What happened?"

"Fell on a blade." He lied.

"… You're bad at lying… and you hint at things like a girl does… and to think I always get teased about that…" He sighed, hoping Alfred wouldn't read too much into that. "If you're that hurt, you shouldn't be here."

Alfred was too tired to complain about the comment. "We are required to be here Feli, I couldn't leave even if I wanted to."

"Right… Well… We are going to explore the hedge maze… Find me if you need help back to your room." The boy smiled, waving to Alfred before he and Ludwig walked away.

"Will do, thanks." Alfred called to them as they left.

Feliciano nodded back to him.

Alfred let out a sigh as he watched Arthur dance for a while. He felt bad for lying to Feliciano; he felt bad for lying to everyone… The boy was only trying to be nice after all. Alfred was feeling useless… He didn't like being so pessimistic. Alfred was nearly asleep when Arthur returned, having danced with a few girls by that time.

He smiled at the boy fondly. He was so cute… Wait what?... Nah… He wasn't… Damnit… Did he like boys? Arthur thought to himself. It must be a real thing, if there are ways for boys to have sex… He wasn't weird right?

"Mmh hey Artie…" Alfred slurred.

"Ah! What?" Arthur was pulled from his train of thought. "…Oh… Hi Alfred… You look… sad… hey come on; let's get you some fresh air. I'll help you walk."

"Not sad… Tired…" He mumbled, his eyes barely open. "How was dancing?"

"… Well… Girls… They're… Ugh… I'm going outside before they stuff me back up for that oath… I can't be a kid after tonight…"

"I will go with you… If you'd like…" He held out his hand. "Could you give me a hand?"

Arthur smiled. "Of course." He pulled the boy up.

"Thanks." Alfred grunted, gripping his side in pain.

"Gracious… You look like you need fresh air more than I do."

"I'm sorry…"

"Oh hush. You can't expect to become a knight by apologizing for everything you for (delete)." They entered the courtyard. It was a lot less crowded than the inside of the palace.

"Right… It's beautiful out here." Alfred gestured to their surroundings. There were lanterns lit up by small flames, all hung up around the walls.

"… Here, moving around will help you adjust to the pain, I think… Besides, it's good training." He led the boy to the maze. "So… Oliver said he helped you train today… How was that? He's an even better fighter than I am."

"Yeah, he was great." Alfred choked.

"… You don't sound like you mean that… did he teach you like we were taught? Learning on the job?"

"Yeah, Francis said he worked wonders, then I ended up hurting myself…" Alfred took a deep breath. "Thanks for taking me out here."

"Not a problem." He stopped hearing Feliciano giggling around the corner. "Ludwig!" as they rounded the corner Ludwig and Feliciano were locked in a kiss.

Arthur paled. Shit. He heard Alfred make a noise next to him and Feliciano gasped as they pulled away from each other. "I… I… Ludwig I told you it wasn't… ah!" She whispered hoarsely.

Alfred shifted, he looked at the two before him. He still believed both of them were males. He waved and smiled at them.

Feliciano blushed looking between them. "I'm… I'm… I can explain! I…" Ludwig touched the Feliciano's shoulder. "Stop… I'm sorry, this was my fault."

"What are you sorry for?" Alfred questioned. "You like who you like. Why does it matter?"

Ludwig blinked and Feliciano gulped. "…It's…" Ludwig looked at Feliciano. "… He doesn't know…."

"You two like each other right?" Alfred smiled. "I think you guys make a great pair."

Arthur blinked at him. He didn't even know. "Even though they're both boys?" Ludwig made a face.

"Yeah, so?"

"It's… nothing I guess…" Arthur liked that thought… That Alfred didn't mind two boys being together…

Feliciano shook his head. "No... No… I'm touched but… Can you keep a secret Alfred?"

"Yes?" He cocked his head to the side.

"I'm… Not a boy… I'm a girl… I… But I had to pretend to be a boy, so I could become a knight…"

"Ohh… Why? Did you do it so could be with Ludwig?"

"I…" She looked at the other. "…Yes… I ran away from home when I was a little girl… My father was…" He shook her head and Ludwig pulled her close, looking at Alfred and the prince.

"I swore I would protect her… I gave her my word… I couldn't just leave her behind."

"That's good of you. I am glad you are alright, Feliciano."

"You can't tell anyone!... I can't go back…"

Arthur shook his head. "Its fine, you two… We won't say a word… But be careful."

"Yeah." Alfred nodded. "I wish you two the best!"

They looked at each other before smiling slightly and quickly disappearing into the hedges.

Arthur looked at Alfred. "… So… say they were boys… Do you think… It's possible for a boy to be more attracted to other boys then to girls?"

"Yeah, why not? Alfred asked, leaning more weight on the other.

"I don't know… I guess… That's just… I've never seen that sort of thing…

"Just because you've never seen it, doesn't mean it doesn't exist." He wondered why the prince had so many questions.

"…Never mind… erm…" He sighed as a guard rounded the corner. "Your highness, it's time."

"I guess duty calls, then?" Alfred released his hold on the prince so that Arthur was free to walk back inside. "I can make it back on my own…"

"If you are sure…" Arthur turned to the knight awaiting a nod, before he turned to follow the guard.

"I'll see you later." He called before he began the trek back inside. He stood tall. 'I have to be a proper knight.' He walked back attempting not to give into the pain in his side. Alfred was glad that he was able to make it in time for the ceremony. He was a little late, but he wanted to be there for his friend.

* * *

Arthur collapsed on his bed, exhausted. The ceremony had been long and boring… He lay down for a while staring at the ceiling, trying to fall asleep. There was a quiet knock at his door.

"Hey Arthur, are you still awake?" Alfred called from the other side of the door. He didn't have a chance to congratulate Arthur after the ceremony, so he decided to head to Arthur's room later that night.

Arthur pulled his face up from his pillow. "Yes?"

"It's me… I wanted to congratulate you… Things got pretty busy today." Alfred stood at the door, fiddling with his clothes, as he waited for permission to enter. Even if he was Arthurs friend, there were still rules. Arthur was a prince after all.

"Right…" He smiled. "Thank you Alfred… Are you feeling better?"

"Slightly, but like you said, I need to get used to the pain if I'm to be a knight."

"Well… Don't push yourself too hard." He smiled.

"Yeah, can I come in?" He finally asked after he didn't get the offer. He straightened himself, standing tall as he waited.

"Of course."

Alfred entered the room with a smile. "Thanks."

"… From now on I have to be the perfect prince…" Arthur let out a sigh as he lay on his bed. So much responsibility for one person.

"Yeah?" Alfred took a seat next to him. "How's that going for you?"

"Well… I will definitely treasure our time in the library more, though it may become less frequent… Keep me sane, will you?"

"Of course." He leaned his back against the wall, shifting his place to find a better position to lay. "I don't want to lose my time with you… Out of everything… It's what I have cherished most…"

"Glad to hear it… But we also need to work hard…"

"True." Alfred frowned.

"…I just hope I'm good enough to be king."

"I think you will make a great king." He gave an encouraging smile. "You seem to really care about the people, you want to improve and do right by the kingdom. You will be a great king… The greatest!"

"I do?... Ha… Alfred, you'll be a great knight…" It was dark outside. The room was only lit by a candle on the bedside table. They talked for hours; conception of time was lost and the candle had burned out, leaving them in the dark.

Alfred had fallen asleep. Arthur watched the boy. He was worried about him. Everything was quiet, eerily so. The temperature dropped. Arthur didn't notice the opened window, where someone silently slipped inside. Without a word, the stranger brought a knife to Arthur's throat, pulling him close, and covering his mouth with his hand.

A low chuckle came from next to his ear. "Well the last thing I expected was to find my victim in bed with another boy. No matter." The cold metal pressed against the prince's throat and his heartbeat exploded through his body at a rapid pace.

"…What do you want here?" He whispered hoarsely, terror shaking his body… his room was high up; this person would have had to climb the stone walls of the palace.

Alfred rolled over in the bed, seemingly disturbed by the quiet whispers. He mumbled something unintelligently, before his eyes fluttered open, seeing the prince held by knife point.

The man grinned. "We have options boy, I can take you, or I can kill you… It all depends on how you cooperate."

"You will have to kill me, before I will ever let you kill Arthur!" He shouted.

The assassin looked at the boy with a bored expression. "Foolish, I'll have to take care of you too then." He threw the prince to the ground, pinning his clothes with knives, then he dove at Alfred.

Alfred, in return, tackled the assassin to the ground. "Arthur, call for help!"

Arthur tugged away, but his arms wouldn't nudge. "Francis! Oliver! Antonio! Somebody!"

Alfred pushed and shoved at the man, trying to pull away his weapons, but the assassin threw him against the wall. He was in danger! So why wasn't he blacking out?! He needed his strength now more than ever! Alfred stumbled forward trying to get back at the man. He was having trouble controlling his limbs. Making his way towards Arthur, Alfred pulled the daggers away from the princes clothing. "Run!" He commanded once the older boy was released.

Arthur stood quickly. "You too" He demanded, grabbing Alfred's hand and bolting towards the door.

The assassin was in front of them in an instant, blocking their way to the exit.

He grinned. "Pathetic." He pushed Alfred's weak form aside. He was about to dive at Arthur, but the door opened from behind him, to reveal Francis. Francis grabbed the man in a head lock.

"Francis!" Alfred called relieved at the sight of the man.

Francis didn't hesitate, he gathered his momentum, pulling the man with him, and he ran towards the window, throwing the man out, allowing him to fall towards the hard ground many stories below.

"Thank you for helping us." Alfred saw the look on Francis's face. "Is the king alright?"

"The king is fine…" He clenched his fist and held his side, it was covered in blood. "… There was an assassin there too…"

Alfred stepped towards his master, but stopped. "Francis, are you alright?" His eyes darted to the blood spilling from the man's side. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I'm fine; get out."

Alfred looked to the prince, "Shall we go then?" He said.

"Not the prince… Just you, Alfred…" Francis said flatly.

Arthur looked at Alfred worriedly. "Good night…"

"I will see you later Arthur… Be safe." Alfred couldn't stop himself from pulling the prince into a hug; he had thought he was going to lose his friend. "I promise you, I will protect you from here on out."

"I…" Arthur wrapped his arms around the other. "Of course… You'll be my knight…" The words came out without thought.

"It a deal then." Alfred looked to Francis, then to Arthur. "I guess I'll see you later."

* * *

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-Through the Loop


	5. Chapter 5

Alfred didn't see Arthur later though; he didn't go to the library. He never did find the time to visit the prince. He worked until both his body and mind were exhausted. He studied fighting, strategy. Only once in a blue moon would he see the prince, and it was only for a brief moment before Alfred left to do more work.

Before either of them could comprehend it, two years had passed since that day they embraced for the first time. Alfred was fourteen, and Arthur was eighteen. It was that very July morning that Alfred was taking the oath of knighthood. Arthur awoke that morning fully aware of that fact. He breathed in and sighed. Though they hadn't seen each other much, he had thought about the young knight nearly every night. He had by then accepted his sexuality; he liked men… He loved Alfred… Some of the time he would catch himself fantasizing about the young knight… by this time he had accepted it as one of his guilty pleasures. He sighed and rolled over. But it was not to be… What would the kingdom think if they knew their future ruler was in love with a man?

Alfred stood in his room, Francis behind him. "You have done well for yourself since then." Francis placed a hand on his shoulder. "Well done, you have exceeded far beyond my expectations of you, far beyond the other children." He smiled. "Alfred, you will make a fine knight."

"Thank you, Francis." Alfred looked in the mirror; he was dressed in extravagant clothing. The fourteenth birthday is important, it is when a young knight graduates from training; it is when he finally becomes a man.

"Remember though, you aren't finished. You will be an official knight now, no longer in training, but that doesn't mean you can get to skip out of practice." He grinned. "But you can look forward to training for a specific position. That all depends on what the king thinks you can do… Assuming the prince doesn't request you." He winked.

"You think I may be able to work up to Arthur's personal guard?" Alfred questioned. That was his goal; it was his promise to Arthur years ago. Not a day of training went by that he didn't remember.

Francis thought for a moment. Alfred was quite amazing. Ivan and Ludwig turned fourteen the year before; Yao was only a few months ago, and Feliciano would be in another few months. None of them had begun training for such high positions. "Well… That depends… A guard has never been requested… but… You two are close friends... You have chemistry, I can tell… but… I do wonder something." He straightened Alfred's collar.

"What is it?" Alfred shifted, helping Francis with straightening out his clothes. It was uncomfortable, too tight; he didn't feel like he could move freely in it.

"… I do wonder… How you feel about our dear prince… I know you know by now… Loving another man it is frowned upon by most… But I want you to be honest with me."

"The prince?" Alfred paused, thinking about it. He knew he cared deeply for the prince, but was it love? He had never really thought about it. It could be… "I… Am not sure… It could be…"

"… Well… If he does request you as his guard, be careful Alfred… Don't let feelings get in the way of your judgment… there is nothing wrong with it but… you must protect the prince… and… be aware not everybody is… as open minded as I am…" Francis explained.

"Yes thank you. I will." Alfred nodded.

"Well… Do what you must to prepare… I will be waiting with the royals in the throne room." Francis gave Alfred's shoulders an encouraging squeeze.

"Right, thank you. Francis…. I am glad you didn't give up on me… Thank you." Alfred said.

"Never would I have dreamed of it." And with that, he left the room.

Alfred sighed, looking into the mirror. He looked handsome in the clothing set for him. His eyes were shinning, and he let a grin fall onto his face. He allowed himself to wonder about Francis's words. What would Arthur think? And how did he really feel about the prince? Those thoughts ran through his mind as he prepared for the ceremony.

Alfred took one last glance at himself, trying to fix his hair, but that one piece would never cooperate. "This is it." He took a deep and walked out of his room.

* * *

Arthur waited in the throne room next to his father and brother, drumming his fingers against the armrest nervously. Oliver was giving him a strange look. "What is it?" He asked his brother.

"Oh it's nothing." Oliver shook his head, giving his brother a smile.

"… Right…" He sighed and faced forward as Alfred entered, Arthur's jaw dropped. The boy was genuinely dashing. Alfred walked towards them, he held his head high. He sent a smiled towards his friend. Once he had approached the thrones, he bent down to one knee, bowing his head to the royals.

The king stood and approached the young boy. He drew his blade from its sheath, placing the flat of the sword to Alfred's right shoulder. He said a few words of wisdom and advice. The ceremony was finished quickly and the king gave Alfred permission to stand. "Sir Alfred Jones. You are now a knight, you are to serve the people, the kingdom, and its rulers. You are a protector of the peace. You must not allow yourself to become corrupt." He went on. "I have decided, after much deliberation, to have you train more thoroughly under Francis. You have proven yourself to be an asset to this country, with both wit and strength. You are hereby an official knight of the palace, and you will also help train the new recruits." He looked around. "Unless somebody believes he is better qualified for another position?" There was silence. "Alright then, I dub thee-"

"Father, wait." Alfred was surprise to see it was Oliver who had spoken. "I believe he may be capable for another position." Oliver winked at his brother. "Arthur has yet to receive a personal guard. He is getting older, and will be needing protection. I mean yes, Alfred will need more extensive training, but don't you think it would be a good idea?"

The king looked at Alfred thoughtfully. Arthur's heart beat quickly. The thought hadn't struck him. They had made that promise but… "Yes… I think that's a great plan."

Alfred bit the bottom of his lip, stopping the grin from forming on his lips. "Thank you, your majesty."

Arthur too was fighting a grin as he looked over to his brother. Oliver sent another wink over to him. The king finished off the ceremony setting the rules for Alfred, and that was it. He was in training to be Arthur's personal knight.

It wasn't until another two years passed that Francis dubbed Alfred ready to be Arthur's knight. Now he was sixteen, and over the last two years he figured some things out. Francis's words hadn't left him. How he felt about Arthur. He was sure he knew. Even though he hadn't seen Arthur much over the last four years, when they did meet, it was as if they never left each other. Alfred wasn't able to get the prince off of his mind. He promised himself, however, that he would never act on those feelings; he couldn't do that to the prince.

The prince was to fill Alfred in on his duties, so they were now looking forward to a full day together. Alfred couldn't help but be excited, even if their meeting was fully work based; he still wanted to see the man.

Arthur was excited too. But of course he would never show it. He wouldn't push the boy. He knew his feelings weren't exactly normal… He pondered on this as he headed to meet Alfred that morning, but before he reached the room he saw his brother. "Oliver."

"Good morning brother." Oliver said with a cheeky grin. "You seem excited, going to meet your lover?"

"Lover?! Oliver that's…" Arthur gulped. "… Oliver… I have a question…"

"And what is that?" Oliver cocked his head to the side.

"… Erm… Two years ago… when you suggested to father, Alfred train to be my knight… Why?"

"Well, I figured you and him were friends. I know you two have been busy and unable to see each other. So I did it for you. I wanted my little brother to have his friend back." Oliver smiled.

Arthur blushed. "… But… is there more to it?" The young prince did wonder if he could confine in his elder brother his secret, he wondered if he had already figured it out… but he wanted to make sure. If he didn't know, he wouldn't tell, but if he did know… He wouldn't lie.

"Well, there is also the fact that it gives me the ability to poke fun at you. I get some great reactions." He chuckled.

Arthur blushed. "You're awful…"

"I'm your brother, I'm supposed to be." Oliver said with a grin.

Arthur smiled faintly. "Shouldn't it be the opposite? Well… If that's all there is to it… I suppose I should meet Alfred."

"Yes, I will see you later." He winked. "Oh, I will be stopping by in a moment to help you and Alfred." Oliver walked away with a wave.

Alfred stood in the meeting room, once more he was dressed up in formal attire. He shifted his weight nervous to be meeting Arthur again for the first time in a long time.

Arthur entered shortly, shutting the door quietly behind him. He smiled at Alfred. "Good morning. It's nice to see you again… Sir Alfred."

"Right, yes it's nice to see you too…" Alfred tugged on his collar, feeling slightly uncomfortable with the formalities.

They merely stood there looking at each other for a long time until Arthur ran to the younger boy and hugged him. "Congratulations Alfred!"

Alfred smiled, wrapping his arms around the other. "Thanks."

Arthur sat down and pulled his knight down next to him… HIS knight… "Tell me what's been going on? How is your… Well… You know…"

"I have been spending my time training is all. I did make that promise didn't I?" Alfred said. His voice had become deeper, and his body more toned and muscled.

Arthur smiled. "I'm glad… I missed you though."

"Me too. I'm sorry it took so long, maybe it I hadn't lagged behind at the beginning, things wouldn't have been so busy." Alfred stretched his hands out in front of him. "And what about you? How has it been?"

"…I'm not sure… I've been… Thinking a lot… Preparations… I need to be ready to take the throne at any time now."

"Because of the assassination attempts" Alfred asked.

"Yes… I worry…" Arthur expressed.

"Your father, he has Francis and the rest of them to protect him." Alfred attempted to comfort the prince.

"Yes I know but… Something is happening… I wonder who's sending them… What if we're on the brink of war…?"

Alfred looked at his friend. "Do you think that could be true? I mean it would make sense. Eliminate the rulers…"

"… It worries me… but don't worry about that, are you excited?" He changed the subject, unable to stop himself from smiling about the fact that Alfred was his new personal guard.

"Yes, it's going to be great… though, I will still have to train."

"Obviously… Well… Let's… ehem… Run over your duties, shall we?" Arthur started.

"Yeah, good idea." Alfred smiled.

Arthur laughed dryly. "To be honest, I am not too sure myself. I've never had a personal knight."

"Well I guess we can start with, when I am on duty, when I should be training, and when I am free to sleep and do other things." Alfred started. "And then, when I'm on duty, where should I be positioned."

Arthur blushed, aware he didn't really know the answer to that. "I suppose it would be mainly at public events, whenever I leave the palace maybe?... You'd have to ask."

Oliver entered the room. "Hello." He said simply. "I am here to help give Alfred a brief over view of his duties, as I told you earlier." He winked. "Seeing as you don't know what you're doing."

Alfred frowned. He had been able to avoid contact with the elder prince since that incident. "Hello, thank you for coming to help us." Alfred tried to smile to hide his discomfort. He couldn't help but be afraid of the prince; he could get away with anything and have no punishment.

"What have the two of you gone over?" Oliver asked.

"We have only just started." Alfred stated.

"Of course. You will still train when Arthur is in confines of the palace. The biggest change is that you will need to guard him at night, considering the assassination attempts as of late. Guards will rotate watch through the night so you can get your sleep, but from now on you will be staying in the tower in the room across the hall from Arthur rather than with the rest of the knights."

A blush exploded on Arthur's face. How was he going to keep to himself with the very knight who piqued his interest when he was across the hall from him? No less contain himself?

"Makes sense." Alfred kept his voice serious. "Once I am assigned a room, I will gather my things and make the move."

"Absolutely. What's wrong Arthur?" Oliver turned to Arthur.

Arthur shook his head. "N-nothing." He looked at Alfred. "I suppose this makes you my official stalker." He said with a chuckle.

Alfred looked straight back at Arthur, his prince, his friend and duty. He cracked a smile. "I guess it does." The two boy burst into laughter.

"You just make sure to do your job." Oliver said with a smile.

Alfred cleared his throat. "Yes of course." He tried to keep a sober face, biting on his cheeks to keep his smirk from showing.

"Well you two have fun." Oliver tapped his brothers shoulder and whispered something in his ear before leaving, leaving his brother with a red face and a glare after his brother.

Alfred looked at the older prince as he left. "What did he say? Your face is flushed."

"Ooh… nothing. He's being an idiot… He likes to tease me…" Arthur said.

"About?" Alfred questioned, he never did like being left out of the loop.

"Erm… Nothing it's an inside joke… Come on." He stood. "I think I'll help you move to the tower. It will be difficult on your own with all those stairs."

"Well I don't have very much, but thank you. I can't have the prince doing this kind of stuff." Alfred lectured.

"Oh please Alfred… I'm your friend… Let's do ourselves a favor and not worry about status…" Arthur said.

"I guess… If you're alright with helping." Alfred smiled shyly. "Thanks."

Arthur smiled. "I'd love to."

"Thanks." Alfred smiled. "Well is that it then?" He asked as he stood up.

"I suppose." Arthur smiled as they exited. "So Alfred… Tell me what you think about…." He was just trying to make conversation, but he wasn't too sure what to say.

"About what? What do you have in mind Arthur?" Alfred asked as the two boys left to find out where Alfred's new room would be.

"You tell me?" Arthur laughed. "We're already friends, but we should get to know each other better I think."

"Well I have been training nonstop. But really, I am still me. I can't say I have changed too much." Alfred said. "And what about you?"

"Things have changed a lot for me." Arthur explained.

"How so?" Alfred tilted his head to the side.

"The way I look at things…"

Alfred looked at the prince with a puzzled expression, "What kinds of things? I don't get what you mean Arthur."

"I don't know… I almost feel like… I think more like you now… You said something awhile back… A long time ago… It didn't make sense then but… now it does."

"What did I say?" Alfred asked.

"I can't remember… anyway…" Arthur cleared his throat as they found Francis.

They asked him about Alfred's new room. In return, the captain sent one of his underlings to show them the way. They were escorted to Arthur's floor and shown an empty room. It was a room very close to Arthurs; only one hall down, much closer than a few floors away. Once they knew where to go, they made their way back to Alfred's original room.

Arthur sighed and they began their errand. It was simple enough and everything was soon settled. They finished moving the small amount of Items Alfred owned. Arthur smiled. "Well that was simple enough."

"Have I told you how much I have missed you?" Alfred asked.

Arthur grinned fondly. "I don't believe you have."

"Well I have. Finally, I have met my goal; now all I have to do is protect you." Alfred smiled, "I will succeed."

Arthur smiled. "I'm proud of you… Hah… I hope you don't mind standing guard outside my room at night."

"I don't mind, though it would probably get a bit lonely." Alfred smiled sadly. "But I will be fine; it is part of my job."

Arthur frowned. "Lonely?... I'm sorry." He looked away. "Well… we'll practically be forced to keep each other company now… I'll try to stay awake and talk to you… I would feel awful knowing you're out there all alone."

"But you need your sleep, and wouldn't that be inappropriate?" Alfred stammered.

Arthur shook his head. "Oh no, that wouldn't be any trouble at all… I'm not worried… We've slept in the same room before…" The boys looked at each other for a long time before blush crept onto both of their faces. Arthur sputtered. "We were only children." Damn, he was twenty years old now, no need to act like a school girl.

"That was a very long time ago…" Alfred said, glancing at the prince.

"Y-yes well of course… Even for me… It was barely expectable… At my age… Alfred… What… Do you think ah… Never mind."

"Alright? I'm sorry I over stepped my bounds back then, I shouldn't have done that." Alfred said looking down at the ground.

"Oh… No you didn't… It wasn't a problem… and I didn't mind." Arthur said.

"So what were you trying to say earlier?" Alfred asked.

"Uhm… nothing… Well… It's been awhile… Let's see how you have improved shall we? Would you like to spar with me?"

"I must say, I have improved tremendously, I am not the same bumbling boy I once was, my prince." He said with a cheeky grin.

"Oh stop it with the titles. Just Arthur is fine." Arthur smiled as they left the room.

"Just because you're my prince, doesn't mean I will go easy on you." Alfred said with a cocky grin.

Arthur grinned. "Nor will I." He tapped the underside of Alfred's chin, noting the stubble growing there. "As long as you've got control of your strength?"

"Yes, I have had control over that since four years ago. That was my first goal to work towards." Alfred stated taking a step back from the prince; the closeness was unfamiliar to him.

"After the promise?" Arthur looked away as he travelled down the spiral staircase, hoping he hadn't made the other uncomfortable…

"Yes, after then. I wanted so much to be able to protect you. You were my goal."

Arthur rounded a corner looking away from the boy, blush on his face. "You know… I never considered that might have been a turning point or goal for you… I thought about it from time to time… But it seems you truly took it to heart… I'm glad."

"I was so afraid that night... I thought you might die… and I couldn't do anything about it." Alfred said.

Arthur sighed. "Well… That doesn't matter now… Besides… If it gave you motivation maybe it was a good thing."

The two entered the arena; Alfred went to retrieve two practice blades, one for Arthur and one for himself. "Are you ready?" Alfred said with a large grin plastered on his face.

"Thank you, and yes… I must admit my ego isn't quite letting me be one hundred percent confident with this one… You're strong… and if you've improved as much as Francis said…"

"It would be embarrassing if you won, if a knight was weaker than his liege." Alfred frowned at the thought of losing to the prince.

"Well… I am rather skilled, hopefully more than any assassin… but we'll see, won't we?" He took a fighting stance.

Alfred stood at ready, his blade slid across Arthur's. He could already see the faults in Arthur's stance. He was off balance. Alfred grinned.

Arthur pressed his lips together and they began their duel. Gracious… Alfred was strong, the prince could feel it from the moment their blades clashed, but he would hold his own.

As they fought, Alfred could feel Arthur's strength failing. The prince noticed this too, and he was not too happy about it at all.

Alfred and Arthur fought for hours, Alfred could have taken the prince many times, but he dragged it out so Arthur wouldn't feel too bad. After a while, Alfred was beginning to feel tired himself, so he quickly found an opening, Arthur's blade fell to the ground in one smooth motion.

Arthur put his hands up in surrender. "You have definitely improved."

"I told you I wasn't going to go easy on you." Alfred chuckled, wiping the sweat from his brow. Alfred smiled at the prince, his eyes were glowing. He hadn't felt so relaxed in a long while.

"I believed you." Arthur smiled back. When had Alfred become so… beautiful? Arthur couldn't help but notice his smile and his beautiful blue eyes.

"Shall we call it quits then? I don't know about you, but I am tired." Alfred said lending his weight on his blade, which was stabbed into the ground.

"Sounds alright with me." Arthur took his sword, and offered to take Alfred's as well. Alfred gave it to the prince gratefully. The prince placed the two practice blades on the rack before returning to Alfred.

* * *

In contrast to the last four years, the two boys spent all their time together, and Arthur was more convinced every day that he had fallen hard for the knight, and he hated not knowing whether or not Alfred felt the same. Regardless, he played it safe. Two weeks passed, and nightfall came later as summer approached. Alfred would be seventeen soon. It was a particularly warm night, with a dazzlingly clean sky when Arthur just couldn't find sleep… His body was strangely sensitive. He gazed out the window at the sky. The stars twinkled. Arthur kept glancing back at the door, knowing Alfred stood watch just outside of it. He smiled and opened it. "Alfred? Come see this!" He whispered.

Alfred tensed at first; he thought that something was wrong. But after seeing the prince's face, he knew that nothing had happened. "What is it?" He asked curiosity filling his voice.

"The sky. It's beautiful. You can see every star there is!" He smiled.

"It is beautiful." Alfred said as he stepped inside the room, he could see the glorious display of stars that shone outside the prince's window, and it truly was amazing.

Arthur grinned. "This is one of the reasons I love summer." Arthur continued to sate at the black veil before them in silence for a long time. "… How do you keep yourself entertained out there?" He asked, interrupting the silence.

"Well it can be kind of boring… It is hard not to fall asleep… but then I start to worry about the things that could happen if I did… and well I begin to fear that while I am out there, someone could be in here hurting you and I wouldn't even know…" Alfred rambled on.

"Gracious. Alfred I'll be fine, that's why you're outside… But I suppose your thoughts DO have to be pretty exciting to keep you awake… But I'm sure there are other exciting scenarios you could think up." The words came out before he could think about the ways they could have been taken. "That… do not involve my death… but you're so quiet out there. Honestly, I sometimes wish you would come in and talk with me." He laughed dryly at how childish he sounded.

"I would come and talk, you only need to ask." Alfred said. "I can't just walk in here and expect you to talk with me…" Alfred paused, giving Arthur a sideways glance. "What would you suggest I fantasize about?"

Arthur blushed. "Oh… Anything…" He thought about things he could say, but he wouldn't say anything HE fantasized about… But after looking at Alfred's face, that smile placed on his perfect lips, and his eyes… Arthur couldn't help but wonder about Alfred… Maybe he did feel the same? It was a long shot… but… If he was right, it was worth trying… But he had to be subtle… Arthur cleared his throat. "Erm... Anything really… Well you're that age after all." He wiggled his eyebrows. "See any maids around the palace that catch your eye?"

Alfred's face turned red. "Well… I… Don't… Girls don't… No… Not really."

Arthur glanced at him. "I'm only teasing… but… I'm not particularly fond of the girls in that way either."

"Does that mean… Well…" Alfred stuttered.

"Mean what?... Finish your sentences, you silly boy." Arthur smiled fondly.

"Well… No… Never mind… Forget I said anything." Alfred suggested, shifting his weight.

"No. Tell me…" A long silence went by before Arthur grinned. "That's an order. Sir Alfred." He nudged his knight.

"… Well… Do you like… Just forget it…" Alfred mumbled.

"Do I liiike… What?... Unicorns?... Boys?" Arthur sung.

"Boys?"

"… Well… You said there was nothing wrong with that a long time ago right?... and… yes… yes I do…" He looked away. Damn it. He didn't mean for this to be a confession.

"So you like boys?..." Alfred asked just to confirm what he had heard.

"I suppose… It would have to be a secret… but… If I find somebody I really love…" Arthur said.

"But what about the kingdom? What would you do? It's not exactly acceptable…" Alfred said.

"… I don't know… I… Wouldn't be a very good king I suppose… But… I would be happy…" Arthur stated with a sad sigh, he wanted to be a good king, but he never felt like he was good enough.

"I think you would be a great king… even if you loved a man… D-do you like anyone?" Alfred asked.

"… Well… What if I said I fancied somebody?... Then what?" Arthur asked his knight.

"I would ask who it was… but then again… that is none of my business… I shouldn't ask such a personal question." Alfred said, glancing at the prince.

"Right… Well… I suppose a more valid question is… How would that make you feel?" Arthur asked, staring straight back at his knight.

"I-it wouldn't matter what I thought…" Alfred broke eye contact, looking to the ground.

"Why wouldn't it matter?... I care about how you feel…" Arthur cleared his throat.

"I just wouldn't… It isn't my place to say anything…" Alfred kept his eyes on anything but the prince.

Arthur huffed. "No… Alfred… let's be honest with each other…"

Alfred stayed silent.

"I… do fancy someone." Arthur sat next to his knight. "And what about you?... Do you… Fancy somebody?... A boy?"

Alfred nodded slowly. "But I would never tell the person…"

"Ahh, so you DO fancy somebody?" Arthur allowed a smile and a bit of hope as he watched Alfred… sitting on his bed… oh god what was he supposed to do now? Arthur cleared his throat. "Why wouldn't you?... Well… As long as the other person is accepting of your feelings that is…"

"Because it wouldn't be good, it would only get in the way…" Alfred explained.

"Get in the way of… Your knightly duties?... Is that it?" Arthur unconsciously leaned closer.

"Well… it is more his, than my own… He has duties he needs to fulfill, and I can't help him with them…" Alfred mumbled, he was beginning to feel uncomfortable, he noticed how Arthur was closer now.

"I see… but… If you love him… If he feels the same… Wouldn't that be cruel?" Arthur asked.

"I… Forgive me… I need to return to my duties." Alfred stood up quickly and bowed to the prince before taking his leave.

Arthur watched him leave and sighed. "Good night." Maybe he had come on too strong… Arthur sighed. "Well good job, you bloody fool… you ruined everything." He curled up n the bed and let out a long sigh.

Alfred had left his watch, switching places with another palace guard. He needed to think. He returned to his room, laying down in his bed thinking about the prince. He already knew he loved the prince, he had accepted that fact, but to actually be with him? That could never happen, could it?

And yet… He wanted him… He wanted Arthur's warmth… He remembered their first hug, the first time they held hands… He needed the prince's affection… Being his knight… was just not enough. Alfred chased the thoughts away, but they kept returning. What WAS enough? He knew he loved Arthur but… Oh Gosh... He was at that age, wasn't he?

Even if it was acceptable for them to be in a relationship… What was it Arthur would expect of him? What was the duty if a… boy wife?... How could he describe that?... All of it made his head spin… but he DID need to stay awake while his prince slept, even though he had a replacement knight out there.

After a while of thinking, Alfred gave in. He was going to trade his duty, for his heart. He left his room in a hurry and relieved the other guard from his watch duty. After waiting a good while, Alfred finally got the courage to knock on the door. "Arthur?"

Arthur opened his eyes and looked to the doorway. He wasn't sure if he should answer, but he did. There was no way Alfred would believe he was asleep already. "Yes?"

Alfred opened the door slightly, for the longest time he didn't say anything. "You asked me if I liked anyone… Well… I-I do… I l-like… You…" Alfred stuttered before closing the door quickly and slumping against its wooden frame, sliding down to the ground. The longest five minutes of his life passed before Arthur pulled the door open, Alfred fell backward with a croak.

Arthur smiled. "Sorry… Be careful, silly." He knelt above the knight's head and placed a soft, quick, and chaste kiss to the younger boy's lips. "I feel the same," Then he stood.

Alfred scrambled to his feet as the prince closed the door soundlessly. "What are we going to do?" Alfred asked through the door, his voice muffled through the wood.

"Why not be happy about it?" Arthur's voice came from behind the door. He was leaning against the other side just as Alfred was.

"But you can't…" Alfred whispered.

"I can't what?" Arthur shifted from the other side of the door.

"You have the kingdom… What about a queen? Heirs?" Alfred questioned.

Arthur closed his fists and let out a long sigh. "I know… I thought about it for a long time… I tried to get rid of it but… it's honestly just… a part of me… I can't get rid of it… and I've accepted that but…" He sighed and turned around, pressing his palms, chest and cheeks against the door that separated him from his knight. "Even if I didn't love you… Even if I took a queen just like every other prince before me and was perfectly happy… The people wouldn't know the real me… I'm a political figure…" He closed his eyes. "If I would be hiding the real me anyways… why can't I at least be happy?"

"But… What are we going to do?" Alfred asked.

"I don't know… but… you're my knight… and… I love you…" Arthur said.

"I-I love you too." Alfred spoke in a tiny voice; it was barely audible through the door.

Even so, Arthur smiled to himself. "Truly?" He felt like a love struck peasant girl as he bit his lip in anticipation.

"Arthur… May I come in?" Alfred asked, standing up and facing the door.

Arthur hesitated before he stepped away from the door and said, "Yes."

Alfred stepped inside, his face a tinge of pink as he saw Arthur. "So again… What are we going to do?"

Arthur sighed. "I don't know…" He looked away. "I …if we were to… well… be lovers… It would need to remain a secret…"

"I know that. I wouldn't tell a soul." Alfred smiled sadly.

Arthur let out a long breath and grinned sheepishly. "Erm… Alfred… Have I ever told you… that you're extremely handsome." He scratched the back of his head.

Alfred blushed and shook his head. "No, I don't believe you have."

"Well… You are…" Arthur cleared his throat and sat back down on his bed, patting the surface next to him. "Either way... Is that… what you want?... To… Be lovers?"

"I- Don't know… it's just… you…" Alfred ran a hand through his hair.  
"I don't want to force you… but… oh, Alfred tell me your honest opinion alright?" Arthur waited for a response, but when none came, he continued. "I want to hear… What do you want? If politics were nothing… If I wasn't a prince… What would you want?"

"I want to be with you…" Alfred admitted finally.

"Then…" Arthur smiled. "Why not?" He held out his arms beckoning his knight to come to him.

Alfred blushed, and didn't move.

"Come now, don't be bashful." Arthur grinned. There was a knock at the door, and he whispered. "Damn… Your watch is over. I'll see you in the morning, love…" He whispered as somebody asked if everything was alright. "One more kiss poppet." He whispered quietly.

Alfred leaned in, allowing their lips to brush against one another. "I will see you later." He said in a soft voice before he collected himself and opened the door. Alfred glanced at the other guard, exchanging a few words before he left.

"Thank you." Arthur called after Alfred, nodding at the other knight. "Excuse me, I had a bad dream and woke with a start."

"Good night." Arthur said to the guard before the door was closed. He curled up as the guard closed the door and he grinned like an idiot. That night was the first time they kissed.

* * *

Welcome back. Thank you so much for sticking around thus far. We are very happy. Thank you

for the reviews, favorites, and follows. We look forward to posting the next chapter.

Please R&R what do you think about the story, is it good, bad, so-so? Any corrections? Finally a confession right?

Sorry it took so long but here is chapter five, we hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as we enjoy writing it.

Again please review it keeps us writing. Also if this chapter seems a little weird... I (Iseal) accidentally deleted a bunch of it and had to rewrite it... D: Soo sorry about that...

-Through the Loop


	6. Chapter 6

Alfred retired to his room; Francis's warning rang through his mind. What would happen if people found out? What would Francis say? Was there anything wrong with this? Alfred felt excited, if only a little… What exactly did this mean then? What was he to expect… and what was expected of him?... A blush crept up his face. He wondered if Arthur had thought of that… then it hit him… sex… his face exploded red. Alfred turned over in his bed with a moan; it was too soon to get this stressed.

Morning came faster that Alfred had expected; he was lacking sleep, from both excitement and weariness. He loved the idea that he and Arthur could be together, even if it was only in secret. He floated through the hall way stopping at Arthur's door. He knocked a few times gently, waiting for an answer.

Arthur shifted slightly in his sleep, hearing the door open, but still not completely awake.

"Good morning Arthur. Sorry for waking you." Alfred stepped inside the room closing the door behind him.

Arthur's eyes fluttered open and he blinked a few times before smiling at Alfred and holding his arms out. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm tired… Had trouble sleeping…" Alfred admitted, stepping into the prince's grasp.

"You couldn't sleep?" He smiled and wrapped his arms around the boy.

"Just a bit excited, I guess." Alfred said.

"We're both acting like peasant girls aren't we?" Arthur laughed as he watched blush creep onto the other's face.

"So, what does the schedule look like for the day?" Alfred asked, enjoying Arthur's warmth.

"Well, first I have a meeting, and then we have new recruits coming in. I was thinking I might take a look." Arthur listed off the things he needed to do.

"I will accompany you, if you'd like." Alfred said.

"Perfect…" Arthur planted a kiss on his knight's lips.

Alfred blushed. "Yeah. Are you going to get ready?"

Arthur let out a long sigh. "Yes… I suppose I can't very well show up like this, can I?"

"That would be interesting." Alfred chuckled.

"Yes, and very amusing, until my father decides to kill me." Arthur laughed darkly, his grip tightening on the knight, before he released him and stood.

"Now that, not so much." Alfred stated.

Arthur chucked, stretching his arms out in front of him with a yawn.

"And there goes the warmth." Alfred complained following after the prince. Alfred wiped the sleep from his eye as he tried to wake himself up more. He was sure if he stayed on Arthur's bed any longer he wouldn't be waking up at all.

"Apologies, Sir Alfred." Arthur pulled his nightshirt off over his head.

Alfred blushed; he couldn't help but stare at Arthur's lean muscled body. He bit his lower lip trying to keep the blush from filling his face, he felt like a child with the way he couldn't keep himself from getting flustered at the slightest things.

Arthur turned around, rubbing the back of his neck; he glanced at Alfred and grinned. "Enjoying the show are we?"

"N-no… Well yes…" His face turned a brighter shade of red. So much for not getting flustered, he didn't think he would get caught, but of course he did.

"That's fine with me." Arthur winked. "Don't be bashful." He finished getting dressed and straightened up. "Shall we be off then?"

"Yeah." Alfred smiled, opening the door for the prince. "After you, my prince."

"Why thank you." The prince replied with an amused grin.

As they walked, the two brushed shoulders. Alfred reached for Arthur's hand, but thought better of it when Francis came into view.

He bowed to the prince. "Majesty, will you be present this evening?" Francis asked the prince.

Arthur nodded. "Briefly yes, as long as I can work around these meetings."

Alfred momentarily pondered on what Francis would say if he knew, but it was only a moment, and soon he and Arthur were at the meeting room. "I'm going to have to leave soon." Alfred sighed.

"Right then." Arthur looked around; ensuring nobody was in the corridor and planted a fast kiss on his knight's cheek before quickly entering the room.

"I'll wait out here." Alfred waved his cheeks pink.

Arthur waved back and took his seat next to Oliver.

"Enjoying your time with your lover?" The elder prince said with a large devious grin.

Arthur blinked and straightened up. "My what?... You mean Alfred? Don't be such an idiot."

Oliver's grin widened. "Then, why do you blush like a bride?"

"Because of the sheer stupidity of the idea." Arthur looked away.

"I think you like the idea." Oliver suggested.

A larger man made a grunting noise, silencing the entirety of the council member's in the room.

Arthur pressed his lips together and rolled his eyes. "Ridiculous." Then he fell silent as it began.

The man spoke about the happening's around the country. There was an attack at the east country side of their vast country. They discussed strategy, they did not yet want to take on the task of a war, and they were not prepared for such a task. Instead they discussed sending troops to help the people and protect them. They were on the defensive. Francis explained ideas that they could take on. Generals argued about what was to go on about this. But so far only three out of the twenty council members believed they should go to war. To wage war with the other country would be a disaster.

The meeting lasted for hours before they dismissed the members. It was defiantly a tedious subject; they didn't get anywhere, they had only spun around in circles.

Alfred waited outside the door as promised. He smiled at the prince as he exited the room.

Arthur nodded and smiled formally at Alfred. "Thank you for waiting."

"It is my duty, not that I mind. How did the meeting go?" Alfred asked quietly.

"It was necessary but, extremely mind-numbing; nothing was done, not one thing. All we did was argue." Arthur sighed.

Alfred tilted his head to the side. "What exactly was the conference about?" Alfred said. "What is happening?"

"Well… There is another country… and… I still don't quite understand it but… well we want them to like us… but that's not working thus far."

"Are we going to go to war?" He asked his face full of worry.

"No that's what we're trying to avoid. With any luck, they'll calm down… I'm not even sure what they want exactly yet."

Alfred rubbed his temples. "Land most likely, recourses; it is always about greed. So many people fight and lose their lives over it. They kill for the greed of their leaders."

Arthur shushed him. "We can't talk about it outside the meeting room."

"Sorry. So it is classified information at this point in time?" Alfred questioned.

"I don't know… but the new recruits can't know, nor can anybody outside the select few in the castle."

"… You seem tired… Do you still want to help train the recruits? Maybe we should do it another day?" Alfred asked. "I can imagine after such a long meeting, relaxing would be a good idea."

"No, I can spare some time. I don't want them to be strangers."

Alfred glanced around to make sure no one was near, and then he took Arthur's hand in his own. "If you are sure you're sure you are up to it."

Arthur smiled faintly and squeezed the boy's hand.

The two entered the arena seeing Gilbert instructing young boys, most seemed to be between the ages of ten and fifteen. They were so young.

Gilbert noticed their approach and had all the boys' line up for Arthur to inspect. He greeted the prince with a bow. "It's good to see you my prince. Are you here to help with training?"

"Yes, how many this year?"

"About thirty. There will be more boys coming next week." Gilbert explained.

"… As opposed to the five all those years ago… Strange… but necessary I suppose."

"It would be best if we didn't speak of such matters at the moment." Gilbert advised.

"Yes, especially to the new knights, they'd get scared."

Gilbert nodded. "Shall we get started then? These boys have a lot of training that needs to be done." Gilbert walked down the line of boys inspecting their stances and correcting them when needed. Arthur walked beside the knight, with Alfred trailing behind.

He nodded. "Alright… Well let's start with a question. What are you here for?" He stopped and addressed all the boys.

There were many different answers, all self satisfying. Arthur addressed each one, each time his frown grew more and more. He stopped at the last boy and asked once more. "What do you want out of joining the royal guard?"

The boy looked up at the prince, Arthur was hoping for a good answer. "I want to bring honor to my family." The boy said.

Arthur let out a sigh and then turned to address all the boys. "Being a part of the royal fight is not only about strength, but heart too. Your heart will bring you strength. It will make you fearless, but also kind and honorable."

Alfred watched as Arthur lectured to the young knights. He too was disappointed by their words. They were not promising. For one to only want fame and honor. They have yet to teach them, so there was a chance they could learn grace. That's what Alfred hoped at least.

Alfred and Arthur each took groups of the many boys, teaching each about stance and balance, how to move and block attacks. They were at it for hours, until the day turned to dusk.

Arthur returned to his room, they needed manpower, hopefully what they needed would come with time… but he was currently disappointed. "This is the first time I have hoped children were lying."

Alfred was sitting on the inside of the prince's room by the door. "I know what you mean. The children seemed too full of themselves."

"Our kingdom has been fortunate enough to have very good knights, but in other countries knights don't have a good reputation. I'm afraid unless they change; those children will become the bullies of the royal city." He began to undress. "I was worried about such a large group."

"They couldn't block out the bad ones." Alfred sighed and looked up seeing the other as he undressed, he blushed. "Sorry." Alfred averted his eyes, feeling too embarrassed to stare. "We will have to try to set them straight.

"With the best of luck, we'll do just that." He sighed and looked at Alfred with a grin. "Don't be so bashful… You're adorable."

"Adorable?" Alfred shook his head, face still red. "That's not true!" He complained.

"It definitely is." Arthur chuckled, still lacking a shirt; he suddenly knelt in front of Alfred between his legs. "You blush all the way to your ears…"

"I don't." He protested; he was beginning to feel Arthur's heat against his own skin; it felt good to be so close.

Arthur planted a kiss on his lips. "Silly. It's not a bad thing."

Alfred wrapped his arms around the prince's neck pulling him closer, deepening the kiss.

Arthur gasped slightly from surprise but smiled and wrapped his arms around his knight. "You're so strange." He muttered against the knight's lips. "One moment you're shy as a bird, the next you're the one directing me."

"I-I just like feeling close to you…" Alfred explained, leaning closer to the prince.

"Well, I certainly don't mind it either." Arthur began to place a few open mouthed kisses upon the knight's neck and collarbone.

Alfred bit his lower lip holding in a soft moan, his body tensed up.

"Do you not like it?" Arthur muttered pulling away from the boy. "Tell me if you're uncomfortable… I'm sorry; I'm being awfully forward, aren't I?"

"No… You're fine; I'm just not used to this… But as I said… I like being close to you." Alfred pulled the prince closer to prove his point and then placed a kiss on the man's lips.

Arthur stuck out his tongue teasingly. "Oh anxious are we? If you like it then just say so."

There was loud knock at the door.

Arthur jolted and stood, pulling Alfred up as well and moving to his dresser. "Yes?"

Francis stood outside the door, with a worried expression. "May I come in?" He called to the prince; he was already reaching for the door.

"No, I'm getting changed. I'll be out in just a moment!" It was a lame excuse. Francis had seen him half dressed multiple times.

"Alright…" Francis pulled his hand away; slightly annoyed, he tapped his foot and waited.

Arthur finished getting dressed and came out. "What is this about?" He asked, smoothing his hair.

"There is another meeting being called, your presence has been requested." Francis saw Alfred standing in the background, his face slightly flushed and closed rumpled. He frowned at the boy then glanced back at the prince. "We need to be quick."

Arthur dismissed Alfred with a nod and cleared his throat. "We were just talking about our new knights."

"Of course, your majesty." Francis nodded making room for Alfred to leave the room.

Arthur paced toward the throne room. "Should I be worried?"

"We are all worried, sire." The older knight said solemnly.

"… Then, I am… I'm afraid of the magic factor, honestly."

Francis motioned for Arthur to follow him. The two walked down corridor after corridor until they reached the large doors of the meeting room. The two stepped in and took their seats. The mood of the room told him everything. This was not good news. Everyone had a look of grieving on their faces. The king stood and addressed the counsel and they began.

Hours passed before the meeting was dismissed. Arthur was exhausted and sitting in his chair as the whole room had drained of people, except for himself and Francis.

"Are you feeling alright Arthur?" Francis asked.

"Wha? Oh, no I was just… Lost in thought… it's late… I should go to bed."

Francis decided that he was going to have to speak with Alfred, but he also knew he would have to beat Arthur to the knight's chambers, so he hurried away and found the boys door wide open. "Alfred?" He called in.

The young knight stood up, greeting his master. "Yes? What is it?"

"First of all… Is there anything you'd like to tell me?"

"What do you mean? No?" Alfred shook his head; he wasn't planning on outing himself or the prince. Francis could assume all he wanted.

"… How have your responsibilities with the prince been going?"

"They have been going well." Alfred said. "It seems like all those years we spent apart never happened. Still friends."

"Of course…I'm glad for you but… your duty is to protect the prince. If he is making an unwise decision, you must act as his guardian not his friend… or anything else…"

"Right… I understand…" Alfred looked anywhere but towards Francis."

"… I'll ask you think once… how do you feel about the prince?" Francis asked.

"He is a good friend, nothing more." Alfred lied through his teeth.

"… Of course… Well… Think clearly… Arthur has a duty he can't be distracted from. He has a kingdom to rule and produce an heir for…"

"I know!" Alfred was very close to yelling, feeling anger boiling up. He paused to think about what he was doing. "I'm sorry… I shouldn't have raised my voice…"

Francis cocked an eyebrow at him. "If there is one thing I can't stand, its liars Alfred… I won't accuse you… But I will warn you… Don't let your emotions interfere. If it isn't like that now… I have seen the way you two look at each other… Don't let it go too far… It's not morals… It's duty.

Alfred nodded. "I understand." He hid his hands behind his back, they were shaking. He had always looked up to Francis, and to be disappointing him now was hard. He was trying to keep himself strong and not just tell Francis everything.

Francis looked at him for a long time. "The prince will be back soon… Off to your duties then." He turned and left.

Alfred slumped his shoulders. Damnit! He thought to himself as he walked across the hall to Arthur's room.

Arthur was collapsed on his bed, mumbling to himself.

Alfred knocked before he entered. "Arthur?"

"Yes?" Arthur mumbled.

"I'm here. Do you want me to come in? Or…" Alfred stopped and leaned against the door with a sigh. Should he do this? He wondered. Arthur had his duty, and he couldn't help him fulfill that.

"Yes come in."

"Hey…" Alfred stepped through the door.

"Hello love." Arthur smiled faintly.

"How was the meeting?" Alfred stepped over to his prince.

"I'm worried… A war may be coming."

Alfred looked at him, all his previous thoughts left. "A war?"

He sighed and looked into Alfred's blue eyes. "Are you feeling alright?"

Alfred nodded. "I'm fine."

"Good." He sighed, "I'm exhausted… say… do you want to… sleep in here tonight?"

"Is that alright?"

"… I hadn't thought about it…" He sighed and buried his face in his pillow.

Alfred placed his hand on Arthur's back in a comforting manner, rubbing his hand back and forth massaging the prince's tense muscles. "I'm sorry Arthur, are you alright? You seem so tense." Alfred frowned as he continued the motion.

"…Yes… I'm fine." He muttered, closing his eyes at the pleasing feeling of Alfred's hands rubbing his stressed back.

Alfred glanced at him. "I don't believe you. I can feel it. Things are getting bad aren't they?"

Arthur moved to face Alfred and wrapped his arms around the boy. He would admit the thought crossed his mind, they may be moving a bit fast. But he couldn't bring himself to care. "Not at all."

"I'm sorry." Alfred frowned. "Things are going to be difficult for the people. I hope things will blow over and we won't have to deal with this war…"

"… I don't know if I can stand that."

"You will be fine." Alfred gave him a squeeze. "Everything will be alright."

Arthur grinned and hummed. "Keep saying it like that and I might believe you."

"Well, I do hope I'm right." Alfred said in a wistful tone. "Arthur?..." Alfred contemplated if he should talk to Arthur about Francis.

"What is it, love?" Arthur took a long exhale, realizing that Alfred's hair smelt like heaven.

"Well… Francis came by my room today… He talked to me about… us…" Alfred said.

Arthur opened his eyes, heart stopping. "… Us?"

"Yeah… I told him nothing was going on… But still… He said I have a duty as your guard, not your friend… And he also mentioned an heir…: Alfred mumbled, feeling uncomfortable at the thought.

"…He's not stupid… I wonder if he knows…"

"I think he does… Though he had no proof. Damnit Arthur, he brought back the fears that I had to start with." Alfred said in a low voice. "I just… I just want to be with you… Is that such a bad thing?"

"No… Francis is pretty open minded about these sorts of things, but… it's… Because I am a prince… I think he'd be fine with it, otherwise.

"I know… He told me a long time ago… I wish things were not so complicated." Alfred said.

"Me too… but… Francis is my friend too… He wants me to be happy but… his duty tells him otherwise in this case… I don't care… Maybe it's childish, but I want to be with you too… If this means we have to sneak around, fine."

"Yeah… I know what you mean." Alfred sighed. "I never wanted to disappoint him…"

"… Me neither but… I …"Arthur blushed. "I think you're worth it, even if I do… Not that we shouldn't be careful.

"Yeah…" Alfred mumbled.

Arthur looked at his knight for a long time before sighing, and kissing his forehead softly. "Nobody said it would be easy."

"I know." Alfred pulled the prince closer. "I'm sorry things can't be." He buried his head in the crook of Arthur's neck. Closing his eyes.

The prince sighed. "… People will start getting suspicious if the other knights come for their shifts and you're in my room… or bed."

"… Do you want me to leave?" Alfred mumbled, his breath tingling Arthur's neck.

"Hmm, you don't have to quite yet…. Right?" Arthur asked.

"I don't have to yet." Alfred sighed, enjoying Arthur's warmth.

Arthur hugged his beloved knight to his chest. The boy was his same height now. He sighed sadly before feeling incredibly gloomy and under pressure, therefore groaning and hugging Alfred close, wrapping his legs around him too.

Alfred blushed but welcomed Arthur's contact. Snuggling next to Arthur, he fell asleep, forgetting the fact that he should be awake on duty watching over the prince. Being in Arthur's arms was so comforting; relaxing even, it was hard not to forget. He could feel all his worries slip away as he fell deeper into sleep.

That was his mistake, the next person on guard duty was Gilbert, and he was training Feliciano and Ludwig, so they were taking a watch together.

When he arrived, he didn't see Alfred standing guard. The first thing he thought was that Alfred may have been called inside for some reason. So Gilbert knocked on the door. No answer. That lack of answering was cause for alarm. He forced the door open.

Arthur jolted in his sleep at the noise but he was so deep in exhausted sleep, he didn't stir any more.

Gilbert slammed the door open, making a loud bang, forcing Alfred out of his sleep.

His eyes widened when he saw the two boys tangled together. He stuttered and watched Alfred's open eyes find his. Neither of them moved for a long time until Feliciano began peeking around the corner. "What's going on?" Gilbert shut the door behind him so the young knight wouldn't see. "Alfred." He muttered.

Alfred struggled out of Arthur's arms, falling out of the bed and standing at the ready. "G-Gilbert!" Alfred gasped out.

Arthur grumbled and woke, finally beginning to wake up. "Alfred? Where did you-" He was cut off by a yawn.

Gilbert cleared his throat and Arthur's eyes went wide as he slowly turned to look at the man.

* * *

Thank you for sticking with us. Cliff hanger dun dun duuuun. Well we hope you enjoyed your read. We will update soon. Thank you so much for reviews, favorites, and follows! Each are motivation for us. So thank you!

-Through the Loop

p.s. Be sure to check out Where the Lines Overlap by the-other-happy-one.


	7. Chapter 7

We usually don't have messages up here, so hello again. Thank you for reading thus far. I suppose you are wondering why we are speaking now. Welllll we just have a warning. There is a small smutty scene... Not too bad but it is still there. There will be a page break before it happens so if you don't want to read it, it will be easily skippable. Well happy readings.

* * *

"I won't say anything… but you two… should be more careful…" Gilbert clenched his jaw and left without a word.

Alfred blinked and fell back on the bed. "… We were just caught…" The palm of his hand connected with his face and dragged down to his neck, he rubbed the tense muscle there.

Arthur couldn't say anything for a while. "I… I…" He looked at Alfred. "I'm sorry."

"No, no. Not your fault. Don't apologize." Alfred stood back up. "I should go. Sorry."

"…I… We were… idiots… Alfred I'm sorry."

"I should have known better." Alfred opened the door, before exiting he said, "I'll see you later." He left, nodding to Gilbert on his way out. "Thanks…"

Gilbert nodded to him momentarily before instructing the new knights, who only got a glance at Alfred. "Got it you two?" Gilbert asked.

They both nodded. Alfred ducked his head and went to his room. Once alone he slumped against his door. "Damnit! Why am I such an idiot?!"

About that time Arthur was doing the same.

Gilbert had finished and was headed to see Francis. Francis was standing guard for the king. He nodded to Gilbert as he approached.

"… You were right…"

"About the prince?" Francis questioned, his face stern.

"… Yes… I suspected but… We can't tell the king… I know it's our duty but… I've never seen the prince so happy…." Gilbert explained.

Antonio appeared from around the corner. "Wasn't it you who said duty comes after what a man knows is right, Francis?"

Francis nodded. "I did say that…" He frowned, yes it was true, he felt it was right to let the boys be happy, but what about the kingdom?

"Well… I'm mostly concerned about what the public would think… We've had sterile kings before; we could work out finding an heir… If it comes down to it, we could use… Oliver's child." Antonio cringed at that thought.

Gilbert sighed. "But they wouldn't accept two kings… Even if we hid Alfred, they would want a queen… We could set up a figurehead for the public…" A sly grin slipped across the albino's features. "Or just put Alfred in a dress."

Francis chuckled. "A knight in a dress? You would enjoy that wouldn't you?" Francis turned serious. "Maybe we shouldn't toy with things just yet. Let us see how things play out."

"You're right…" Gilbert admitted. "Maybe it's just… a phase… but if it grows into Alfred's adulthood…"

"I just wish for them to be happy…" Francis said quietly.

"We all do… Let's see what happens…" Antonio nodded. "I think though… They need to know their secret is safe with us… If they love each other… Well, right now, they have almost the perfect circumstances as far as positions go… Living across from each other… I think we should make it easier for them to be careful… Maybe Alfred should have the last watch…"

"… Yes… be careful… it wasn't a big deal… they were just hugging… well… given they were in bed… but still… be gentle…" Gilbert asked.

"Don't worry; I will try not to scold them… Though I can't help but feel angry that Alfred lied to me…" He shook his head then walked away, making his way back tot he princes chamber.

He nodded at the two guards outside the royal's door in acknowledgement before knocking on the entrance. "Mon Prince? May I come in?"

There was no answer for a long time before he heard a mumbled "No"

"Non? Then shall I go talk to Alfred instead then?" Francis called.

Arthur hugged his stomach, curling up tighter on his bed. "No. No to both… I'm the bloody prince! You do what I say!"

Francis was surprised by this, Arthur never pulled that card. Feliciano and Ludwig looked at each other. "… Uh, should we leave?" The red head asked.

"Forgive me; it may be better if you did." He nodded to the two boys giving them permission to leave. Once gone, he dismissed what the prince had said and entered the room.

Arthur sat up in a confrontational manner. "I said no." He had only just spoken to Alfred about Francis… but being caught was a different matter. Damnit… barely a day into their relationship and things were already going wrong.

"I am going to move Alfred to the last shift. Then you two won't have to worry about being caught together." Francis said.

Arthur blinked. "You… what?" His eyes went wide. "I… don't understand…"

"It's just like I said. We won't tell anyone, you just have to be careful… But if you must know, I really do advise against this. Not that you'll listen to me, though." Francis explained.

"But… you won't… Tell?" Arthur shook his head like he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"We will not. Now if you want to tell your father, that is up to you." Francis looked at him. "Are you sure about this?"

"… I know it… sounds childish… and ignorant, but… I love him… I can't stop… I tried already." He looked away. "Is there… something wrong with that?"

"No. There is nothing wrong with that. I am sorry the world can't be more open to it as I. I am just worried about you." Francis paused to gather his wits. "Have you thought about your future, about what you are going to be doing?"

Arthur hung his head and closed his eyes. "I… I realize I'm… being selfish… But we can find a way… can't we?... Having a queen that's… well… not a queen… wouldn't affect my ability to rule the kingdom… The public just wouldn't like it."

"There are many options you can consider. Like a fake bride?" Francis shook his head, not liking the idea. "You need to be thinking about it though. Now if you don't mind, I will take my leave and have a talk with Alfred."

"Wait…" Arthur said quickly, looking up at Francis.

"Yes? What is it?"

"…" Arthur slowly slid off his bed and approached Francis, then quickly pulled him into a tight, strong hug, a little embarrassed, he hid his face. "Thank you." He whispered.

Francis wrapped his arms around the boy. "You're welcome, mon prince."

"… I'm sorry to disappoint you… I never thought it would be this way… but… thank you for understanding… thank you."

"I'm not disappointed… Does anyone else know about this?" Francis asked.

"… I don't think so… except Gilbert… and I wonder…" He straightened up. "Oliver teases me about it… it's all in a sarcastic fashion… So I'm not sure if he really knows but… it's a possibility.

"I see… Well then, I must be going now." Francis left the room and sent Feliciano and Ludwig back to their watch. He walked the short distance to Alfred's quarters. "Alfred, are you there?"

Alfred opened the door and glanced at Francis with tired eyes.

Francis smiled at the knight fondly. "You're a lot more cooperative than Arthur. May I come in?"

Alfred motioned for the man to enter pulling out a chair for his master.

"Thank you." Francis stepped in. After a long silence, he sat down in a chair. "… Gilbert told me about you two…"

Alfred sat there in silence; he was prepared for anger, for yelling. Something.

"… Why did you feel like you needed to lie?" Francis asked.

"I was scared… He is the prince… and you warned me not too… but I did it anyways…"

"I can understand your fear… but Alfred, you know me… I want you to be happy… I'm changing your guard time to the last one so you and the prince don't have to worry about being caught."

"You're helping us? But why?" Alfred questioned.

"Yes Alfred… I told you I want you to be happy, didn't I?... But just know, I still don't think this is a good idea. I won't stop you, nor help you two along after this. I have provided means for you to keep a secret… That should be enough."

"Even if I have disappointed you now… I am going to make you proud… I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"… Good…" He sighed. "Goodbye Alfred… Be careful…"

"Thank you." Alfred said.

Francis simply nodded and left him alone.

Alfred slept just a little easier.

Three weeks had passed since that time. Alfred and the prince had been more careful, they had only slept in the same bed once since then, but they were getting more secure in each other's company, kisses came as naturally as breathing.

Alfred enjoyed every moment he could spend with Arthur, but it was obvious how stressed the man was becoming.

It was a bleak, cloudy night when Arthur finally broke down into tears out of pure stress. He lay on his bed early in the morning next to Alfred during his guard. "What am I going to do?"

"For now, there is nothing you can do. We just need to stay calm and think things through. Everything is going to be alright." Alfred attempted to assure the prince.

"Yes… How would I stay alive without you to calm me down…? I didn't sleep well… Did you?" He loosely wrapped one of his arms around his knight with tired eyes.

"I slept alright… Arthur, I know I have said this a lot… but everything is going to turn out fine. We just have to have a little bit of patience." Alfred said, pulling the prince close.

Arthur smiled faintly and squeezed the other, "And where would I be without my blue eyed optimist?" He tapped the knight's nose. "You're so cute."

"Cute?" Alfred frowned. "I'm not cute."

"Oh stop. I love it." Arthur nuzzled his nose against Alfred's. "… Say Alfred?"

"Yes?" Alfred questioned.

"Alfred, have you ever thought about how… er… sex happens… in a relationship like ours?"

Alfred nodded, flustered by the question.

A wicked grin slipped across the prince's lips. "What exactly do you think about?" He held the boy closer.

"W-well… You… and me…" He blushed stuttering through the question. "I-I don't know… Just-…." He stopped to collect his thoughts. "What about you?"

* * *

"I asked first. So..." Arthur smirked and ran his hand down Alfred's front, stopping barely before he reached Alfred's manhood. "Tell me… How do you think it works?" He checked the status of the sky, judging by the stars, they still had a good three hours before Arthur would need to get out of bed. He liked that thought, and met Alfred's eyes again as he cupped the knight's groin through his trousers.

Alfred let out a small gasp. "Ahh Arthur… What are you…?" Alfred's face was on fire.

"Just answer my question. Feel free to tell me to stop any time and I will." Arthur stated.

"Right." Alfred blushed; he didn't want to tell Arthur to stop. "Well I-I…" He sucked in a breath. "Well… I don't know… Well I do… But…"

Arthur cut him off with a kiss. "Don't be silly… What do you think about?" He muttered in his ear.

"I think about you." He said, chills flowing down his spine as Arthur's breath tickled against his neck.

"Doing what?" Arthur teased.

"Lots of things…" Alfred blushed, biting his lower lip; it had become something of a habit when he was nervous.

"Silly… Just say it" Arthur snickered. This was fun, perhaps he would feel guilty if it wasn't so obvious that Alfred loved it, he pressed his hand firmly against the other. "Like that?"

Alfred let out another gasp, and nodded. His face was burning hot.

Arthur held back a snicker. Alfred was so cute, so embarrassed. "You're so funny." He said, pressing his lips to Alfred's neck. "What do you want me to do?"

Alfred pressed closer to the prince. They had yet to do anything of this sort, only brief kisses and holding each other. Alfred was too embarrassed to beg, but he did want Arthur to continue.

"Nothing to say?" Arthur teased, noticing Alfred getting closer. He knew for Alfred that seemed like an answer…. But he wasn't quite done with his game yet. "Well… In that case, I'll just stop then." He shrugged and pulled his hand away, rolling onto his back. "Goodnight." He smiled closing his eyes.

"What! Why?" Alfred complained, his eyes widened once the words left his lips.

Arthur cracked an eye open and grinned at his knight. "What's the problem? You didn't say you wanted me to do anything, in other words nothing. If you'd just say, I'd be more than happy to oblige.

"You're evil." Alfred frowned, but it quickly turned into a grin. "It's just… I'm not used to this… I don't know what to say."

"I know you don't. I'm only teasing you… but honestly, Alfred, just say what you want, it doesn't have to be much, or even descriptive… I just want to hear you say it." He rested his hands behind his head nonchalantly, with a smug grin.

"Can I just say I want you?" Alfred asked positioning himself above the prince and planting a soft kiss upon his lips.

"Yes… That's perfectly fine with me." Arthur wrapped his arms around his knight and pulled him into a deeper kiss. "You're not the only one who's nervous… but somebody has to be the confident one… or we'd never get anywhere… Just relax." The prince said against his lover's lips.

"I'm sorry… I should try to be more forward and less shy." Alfred mumbled, mostly to himself. He allowed himself to relax, taking a deep breath.

The prince caressed the other's hair. "Maybe it's not a bad thing. It's one of the cute things about you." He smiled when he felt the obvious bulge against his thigh. "Want me to finish?"

"I'm not cute…" Alfred protested, his face still colored pink, but he nodded at the prince. He did want the other to finish.

Arthur smiled and quickly flipped them over so he was on top. "I'll just help you a bit." He slowly snaked his hand down Alfred's front. The prince tugged the boy's trousers until they were low enough he could expose the knights erection to the open air. "Come to think of it," The prince said with a stroke of his hand from bottom to top. "You're turning seventeen in a few weeks aren't you?"

Alfred shivered as he was exposed to the cool air. "Yes, July." He said holding in a gasp.

"Well… Happy birthday." He began slowly moving his hand up and down his beloved knight's manhood, applying more pressure as he moved to the top. He noticed his hand getting slightly slick and sticky, as he watched Alfred's eyes widened and darken with need. The royal grinned and leaned down and trailed kisses along Alfred's chest.

"Thanks" Alfred said letting out a low moan. He bit his lip embarrassed by the sound that he allowed to escape.

Arthur pulled the ties of the knight's tunic loose in order to gain more access to his chest, moving his other hand a little faster when Alfred whined. "You like that?" Arthur grinned, he knew the answer, but Alfred was just so cute and flustered. He placed a kiss to the knight's neck.

Alfred nodded. "I-I love you Arthur. Have I told you that?"

Arthur closed his eyes. "I love you too." He pressed their mouths together in a frantic, heated passion before he felt Alfred shudder and climax against his hand and stomach. A long silence passed, only sound being their heavy breath. After some time Arthur spoke up. "Good?"

Alfred nodded slowly moving his body closer to the prince's.

Arthur pressed a kiss to his knight's forehead, moist with sweat, and released his now limp member. He held the boy tightly. "I love you Alfred…" He whispered. He could feel that his own cock was hard as well, but he figured it could wait, he wanted Alfred to feel perfect, he would take care of it himself later.

* * *

The two boys fell asleep in each other's arms.

Morning came too soon. Alfred awake with an annoyed moan. "I used to love mornings, but now I dread them."

Arthur opened his eyes. "Me too…" He sighed. "Time to put on an act." He sat up and poked Alfred's stomach. "We had better get cleaned up then."

The boy looked himself over; he could feel the sticky remains of his climax. Alfred pulled a smaller blanket over himself so he was somewhat decent then stood, making his way to the wash bucket.

Arthur watched him, tantalized by the way his muscles moved. "How are you feeling, love?"

"Alright, a little sticky though." He said with a frown

Arthur laughed and smiled fondly at him. "Ah… evidence you enjoyed it."

Alfred chuckled, "I guess you're right… Could you toss me my clothes so I can clean them up a bit too?"

Arthur threw the knight's pants and uniform coat at him and got up himself, walking to his dresser. "I didn't think about trivial things like spoiling clothing when I started… I suppose it's a good thing that I am wearing pajamas."

"I guess we will have to remember that for next time." Alfred stated

"Next time, hmm?" Arthur cocked an eyebrow. "I could live with that."

Alfred blushed as he realized his words… Though, he didn't mind the thought of there being a next time.

"Its fine, you're chipper this morning." Arthur pointed out and he finished getting dressed.

Alfred rubbed his eyes. "I must be tired… Your face is blurry…"

"Blurry?... Why would that mean you are tired?... Are your eyes alright?"

"They should be… Sometimes my sight is worse in the morning…" Alfred explained, once more he rubbed his eyes.

"Worse?" Arthur stepped closer. "Do you always have blurry sight?"

"I always thought my sight was normal… Though, it has been getting worse." Alfred kept rubbing at his eyes. "Damn, this is annoying. It isn't clearing up."

"Hmm… You may need spectacles."

"No… I'm fine… I don't need them; they'd only get in the way." Alfred shook his head and walked up behind Arthur, wrapping his arms around the prince. His lips traced along Arthur's neck.

"Yes, but it can affect your battle skills." Arthur cocked his head to give the knight free reign of his neck.

"My skills are fine."Alfred protested.

"Maybe, but having bad eyes could get you killed." Arthur took Alfred's chin and looked sternly into his eyes. "I'm not going to risk that."

"I would have to go into the city to retrieve a pair." Alfred sighed. "I guess I will talk to Francis about it later…"

"Good." He kissed the knight softly. "Speak of the devil, I hear somebody." He glanced toward the door.

"I'll get it, if you don't mind." Alfred made his way to the door opening it slowly. There standing before him was Oliver.

"Ar… Alfred?..." Oliver cocked his eyebrow. "…Did I interrupt anything?"

"No, no. You're fine." Alfred looked at the older prince, he still felt weary when the man was around.

"… Then may I ask what you're doing in my brother's room?" Oliver put his hands on his hips. "Sir Alfred?"

"My watch is over… He just called me in to talk, my lord." Alfred bowed to the prince.

"Talk about what?" The elder prince continued to question.

"Well… My eye sight for one, we are just keeping each other company. We are friends after all." Alfred explained.

"… Of course…" He glanced at Arthur.

Alfred moved aside for the prince to get to his brother.

Oliver approached his brother. "Are you alright? I kept hearing sounds last night and I got worried. I asked Francis a few hours ago, but I just wanted to make sure myself."

Alfred turned looking at Oliver, his face red.

Arthur glanced at Alfred. "A… few hours ago huh?... No we… didn't see Francis at all…"

"We?"

"Well, I didn't hear anything, and Alfred was outside all night, did you see him Alfred?"

"No, nothing at all." He said shaking his head quickly.

"Really? He told me he checked on you. He said he checked inside and there was no suspicious figures around?..."

"Yeah…"

"Well… I was just worried, you were probably dead asleep." Oliver patted his brother's shoulder and left the room, smiling at Alfred… Was that smugness?

"We will see you later then…" Alfred bowed as the prince left. Once out of sight he let out the breath he was holding in. That man just made him so nervous.

Arthur looked at the other with wide eyes. "You think he… saw?"

"No… I don't think so…" Alfred said.

"Do you think Francis would have woken us up?" Arthur asked

"No… I don't think he would." Alfred let out a breath. "That's-" He paused. "I really shouldn't allow myself to sleep when I'm on guard…"

"…Well… That was my fault." Arthur played with his fingers and sighed.

Alfred smiled and kissed the prince on the cheek. "We'll just have to be more careful then." He suggested.

"Of course… Even still… Just the thought of…" He shuddered. "I would just be mortified… I … Wonder if he saw…"

"He didn't see anything." Alfred wrapped his arms around the prince in a comforting manner.

"You don't know that… But thank you anyway."

"It was worth a try." Alfred said with a chuckle. He, then, stretched and looked to the door. "We should be going soon."

"Of course." Arthur pulled away and fixed his hair as well as he could.

Alfred gave a quick kiss to Arthur before the two left the room. "I have duties to attend to with the new recruits. So I guess I will see you later…"

Arthur smiled. "Of course." He winked. "Tell me if you need help with anything."

"I will. If you have time, maybe you should come and help with the recruits."

"Silly. Everything I hint at goes right over your head." He kissed the knights cheek. "I'll see you."

Alfred blushed. "Wait, what were you hinting at?" Alfred called after the prince after the prince as he left.

"Nothing!" Arthur sang, and headed for the stairs.

Alfred trailed after him. "What was it?!" Alfred whined.

"Oh, think about it awhile and I'm sure you'll figure it out." And with that, he parted.

Alfred frowned, but left it at that and made his way to the fields.

* * *

So yeah we have another warning that you may want to heed. So... There will be a character death coming up soon. Maybe in three or four chapters. There are five chapters to go.

Please R&R, Favorite and or follow... Or even better, do all three. They really do keep us going. Also if you like our story, you can look forward to another one being posted really soon.

So Thank you so much for reading. I hope all of you stay with us.

Happy readings everyone.

-Through the Loop


	8. Chapter 8

Francis was preparing for the day there. He looked at Alfred, gave a short nod, then went back to what he was doing.

"Morning, Francis." Alfred walked up beside him. "Can I help you with anything before the recruits get here?"

"I'm only finishing. Did you sleep well?" Francis asked.

"Yeah, very well… And you?

"Before I had to rise before the sun, yes." Francis answered unenthusiastically.

"Oh… I see." Alfred bit his lip, wishing away the blush that formed on his cheeks.

"…What is it?" Francis asked tiredly. "You look like you want to ask me something."

"No, no… It's nothing." Alfred said as he began to work next to his master. "So how have things been?"

Francis looked at him with annoyed eyes. "What do you have to say to me? You know how I dislike liars?"

"I don't know what you want me to say Francis." Alfred said with a sigh.

Francis let out an exasperated breath. "I don't either, I'm sorry; it's just been a rough morning. I shouldn't be so hard on you."

Alfred hung his head. "… So, you did see?"

Francis looked at him, but didn't say anything.

"This morning, when Oliver sent you to check on us…"

Francis's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about? I was up early because I had the final guard for your father, Oliver didn't send me to do anything."

"Oh…" Alfred perked up at that, knowing Francis wasn't there that morning. "I'm sorry you had the final watch; you must be exhausted. Just say the word and I will help you with anything."

"Of course," Francis looked at the knight curiously. "Thank you… Ah, here come some trainees."

Alfred looked up from his work with a large smile upon his face. "Good morning!" He called to the young recruits.

Arthur sighed, another long day and more than ever he longed to see Alfred. What had happened that morning was a lustful, spur of the moment act, yet he felt so much closer to the boy, on an emotional level as well as a physical one. He let out a long sigh, entering the library to find a book on the threatening country.

Oliver sat at one of the long wooden tables; he was working on something. There were many books surrounding the prince about battle strategies and the like.

Arthur approached his brother. "Are any of those on Gercio, per chance?"

Oliver looked up at his brother. He took one of the books out of the many piles. "This one." He gave to book to his little brother. "Are you preparing for the worse, then, brother?"

"I have to. Dad will need all the help he can get if we go into war. I need to know what I'm talking about. Trust me, I'd rather be elsewhere right now."

"With that boy?" Oliver raised an eyebrow.

Arthur glared at his brother. "Oh, get off." He rolled his eyes and opened to the middle of the book, beginning to read.

"But you already did, didn't you?" Oliver said with a smirk. He glanced over his brother's shoulder seeing what page he'd flipped to. It was one about magic.

Arthur slammed the book shut, a blush exploding on his face. "Excuse me?!"

"So it's true, then?" He looked at the younger prince. "I can see it through the blush on your face."

Arthur pushed his brother lightly. "No. Don't say that. That's disgusting. Where did you even get that idea?"

Oliver rolled his eyes. "Many things led me to that conclusion, but if you say so."

"Many things? Like what?!" Arthur questioned.

"When you were younger, your curiosity and now, they way you look at him, it's obvious."

"I… It is?... B… But you never told me…"

"That doesn't mean anything. I left it to your imagination, you must have liked where your mind took you," Oliver said with a grin.

"I… It's… that obvious?"

"For one who really knows you it is," The elder prince said, placing a hand on Arthur's shoulder.

The prince still couldn't believe what had just happened. "… So…Fine… You just figured me out… but is there… Do you think there's something…Wrong with it?"

"…" Oliver paused and looked over his brother. "You are my brother… I do find it odd, but I've known you were like this for years and have accepted it."

"…I…" Arthur cast his eyes at the ground. "Thank you, Oliver… I can't help it… but he..." He looked up again, blushing. "But just because we're in love, doesn't mean we've 'got off'." He said quickly.

"Right, really I don't care about that. It's just entertaining to poke fun at you." Oliver explained.

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Of course… I suppose that won't stop, even now that I've admitted it, then?"

"Not a chance." Oliver said with a smile.

Arthur chuckled. "Well… I can play along… How long have you known, Oliver?"

"Well, since you were little there was something different about the way you interacted with the other kids your age… I could just tell I guess."

"That long?" Arthur looked away and sighed. "I suppose I was always different… I just… Didn't get how exactly… The concepts eluded me… Oliver." There was long pause, and then the prince pulled his older brother into a tight embrace. "Thank you… So much… I was so worried about how you'd react; I… let secrets come between us…"

"I can see why you'd be afraid to tell me, though."

"… Thank you… For not reacting the way I thought you would." Arthur said.

"No problem, little brother." The elder prince smiled.

The young prince smiled to himself, Arthur couldn't help feeling… things would look up from now on.

* * *

"Alfred Jones, hold still for the love of-" Arthur sighed. "I think you need to sit."

"Sorry, I just feel so antsy." Alfred said, letting out a sigh as he looked at the spot next to Arthur and shook his head.

Arthur groaned and looked over Alfred's half naked form. His shirt was off, revealing his scar from so many years before and his trousers were unbuttoned, the obvious bulge in his pants saying something his face didn't. His glasses were threatening to fall off his face, he had gotten them a few weeks after their first sexcipade, and Arthur soon discovered he quite liked his knight in spectacles. If it was hard to keep his hands off the boy BEFORE it had to have gotten twice as hard once those things were on his face. The prince couldn't put his finger on why, but he indefinably had a thing for a man in spectacles...But right now...

Arthur ran his fingers through his hair. It had been four months since they first tried anything like this, and they had experimented, spending more than a few nights tangled up with each other, discovering sweet spots and exploring ideas, but this morning Alfred wouldn't hold still. It was understandable to be nervous after discussing what sex truly implied, but this was a bit much. "Alfred, if you don't want to do this, you just have to say so."

"It's not that I don't want to… It's just… I don't know…" Alfred glanced at Arthur, feeling rather timid.

"What is it? Talk to me, are you scared it will hurt?"

"I'm not afraid; pain is the last thing on my mind… I just… Today… I don't know how to describe it…" Alfred ran his hand through his hair.

"What about today?" Arthur looked worried and gently pulled Alfred down to sit on the bed. "Is it just… this? If you're not ready, that's fine… but just tell me okay?" He kissed the knight's forehead. "I love you; I don't want to hurt you."

"I know…" Alfred closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"It's fine…" Arthur smiled. "You're so cute."

Alfred frowned. "Sorry…"

Arthur chuckled. "I didn't say it was a bad thing. Don't fret; if you're not ready then that's that… But… we have two problems…"

"It isn't that I'm not ready." Alfred frowned; he was feeling like a maiden. "And what are these two problems?"

"Then what is it?" Arthur gave the boy another quick kiss. "And think for a moment, you'll figure it out."

"…" Alfred looked at the other quizzically.

"Oh, my dear clueless Alfred," Arthur sighed, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "I was talking about our erections." He said in a matter of fact sort of way. He had grown used to the fact that any sexual hints or innuendos he threw at his lover went right over his cute little blonde head. He found it cute and usually made it into something of a taunting game until the boy figured it out, but he wasn't in the mood currently. "Now if it's not that you're not ready, what is it?"

"I have a bad feeling about today… I keep thinking it's my imagination, but I can't seem to dispel the thoughts…"

"… Hm… Well, why didn't you say that fifteen minutes ago, silly?" Arthur sighed and kissed him again. "Relax love."

"I'm trying to…" Alfred said.

"I know…" Arthur sighed. "Here, I'll help you get rid of that, and then we can go to bed okay? I would stop now, but I don't think you want to keep it."

"Right." Alfred blushed as he looked at his prince, and allowed him to relieve him. He trusted his lover, and knew he was right, so he took off his glasses, placed them on the bedside table, and leaned back to enjoy.

* * *

Arthur sat with a book in front of him, but favored smiling like a dork rather than reading it. He and Alfred were back in their corner in the library; both had found time to spare. The two sat in silence, both boys just enjoying each other's presence more than anything else. Alfred still felt anxious, something was up, but he didn't know what just yet. "What are you smiling about?" Alfred asked, nudging the prince.

"Oh nothing," Arthur said. "It's just… A thought struck me… It was a good idea… and… ehem… I'm going to get another book; this one is all stuff I've read before." He stood and walked back to the history section to find Oliver once again. "Oliver. What are you studying? You are here all the time."

The elder prince frowned as he was pulled from his concentration and looked up at his little brother. "What does it look like?" He motioned to the books. "I'm in here studying for anything I can find to help you and dad if there's a war."

Alfred heard the voice from around the corner and let out a shuddered breath. He had been like this all day, he was so distracted, and Francis was able to beat him during their demonstration to the kids. He stepped back and ran a hand through his hair, taking another deep breath. He walked around the corner and stood next to his prince.

Arthur sighed. "Of course... I'm sorry… I'm honestly surprised we haven't completely declared war yet… There is fighting but… ugh… They seem to have withdrawn temporarily, though…"

"Yeah I know… Maybe something's up." Oliver suggested.

What the older prince said was defiantly part of Alfred's worry.

"… It troubles me… I haven't stopped preparing for the worst… But… I'm growing tired of this."

Oliver closed the book he was reading. "I, too, grow tired of this waiting. We have already had so many casualties; we need to fight back."

"You think?... I sort of agree with father… We should avoid it but… They are so unreasonable, I'm still not even clear on what their motives of attack are."

"Do we even need to know? They are killing out people!" Oliver slammed his fists against the table. "Don't tell me you are as weak as father!"

"D-don't say that Oliver… If we can reason with them, we should…" Arthur tried to explain.

Oliver twitched; it was obvious he was becoming aggravated. "We have been trying to reason with them! They have no reason Arthur!"

"Stop it Oliver! You're making an ass of yourself!" Arthur shot back. "We're trying!"

"Everyone has been trying. Meanwhile, people are dying." The elder prince said.

Alfred straightened and looked directly at Oliver. "A war would cause even more death."

Oliver glared right back at Alfred. "But at least we'd be doing something instead of sitting here like cowards."

Arthur stepped between them, feeling the tension raising. "Alfred is right."

Oliver rolled his eyes. "Of course you'd side with your little princess here. Or maybe whore is more fitting in this case."

Arthur gritted his teeth. "Oliver, that's uncalled for and has nothing to do with this!"

Alfred looked between Oliver and Arthur; he didn't know Oliver knew anything about their relationship. The boy closed his eyes and bit his tongue holding back words he knew he'd regret.

"Don't be so blind Arthur! You're going to be king some day!" Just then a crash was heard from the corridor, Oliver looked out the window, and the sun was beginning to set. The alarm bells suddenly rang from a tower not too far out of sight. "Wh-what?!" Arthur spun around. "Don't tell me…"

"Shit." Alfred cursed; he could see small fires being set along the roof tops signaling there is an attack. "You two need to get back."

"What is going ON!" Arthur shouted.

"There has been an attack. All the knights have been alerted." He motioned to the fires that could be seen from the library windows. He pulled his sword from its sheath. He had yet to be in a real fight.

The two princes stared at him, and before Arthur could say anything, "He's right, we need to hide if there is an attack. They're after us." Oliver said.

Alfred thought back to his lessons with Francis. He could remember each passage with in this wing of the palace; one was located here in the library. "Follow me." The knight led them to a secluded corner of the library. "Where is it?" He questioned as his searched the wall for the correct lever.

Oliver rolled his eyes and pulled a green book from the shelf, opening a passage. "Were you paying attention at all?"

"Sorry. I-I" Alfred looked to Arthur and sighed. "Forgive me, I should have known that." He took a torch from the wall then peeked inside. He saw nothing. "This way."

Arthur followed close behind Alfred. He wasn't quite sure how to react to anything, should he be scared, angry? Right now he simply… was…

The boys traveled down a range of tunnels walking for what seemed like hours, though only a matter of minutes had passed, they could still hear the sirens wailing. Alfred finally felt along the wall and opened a small door, it opened into the throne room, He only opened it slightly, and making sure nobody was inside. It seemed silent, but he didn't trust such a large room. He sighed and closed it. "… Perhaps it is best to stay in the tunnels until the siren stops. I need to find out was exactly is happening here… Though, I shouldn't leave you two alone." Alfred sighed. A sound came from behind them. "There's someone in here."

"Is it Francis?" Arthur whispered. "Maybe he's in here protecting my dad."

"Or not…" Alfred could hear what sounded like five different sets of steps walking towards them. His heart was beating a mile a minute. "Stay back here, I'll check it out." Alfred made his way around the bend in the hall; the only sound he made was the shallow breaths he took. He could see the faint outline of a group of men, none of them seem familiar. Panic ripped through him, but he forced himself to be calm.

The men kept moving closer to where he stood. Alfred gulped but readied his sword.

Arthur retreated into the corner near the exit with his brother, he couldn't see what Alfred saw, but he could sense the tension.

The men rounded the corner stopping as they saw Alfred, each one drawing a blade. Alfred held his own with strength as he stepped out to challenge the group of men.

Arthur tensed as he watched helplessly from the sidelines as Alfred left his sight, he could hear the blades clashing. He jumped forward but Oliver held him back. "You don't have a weapon; you'd only get in the way." The elder prince said shaking his head.

Alfred fought the men with speed and precision, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't afraid. It was hard to fight so many people at once, though he had done it before in practice. He pulled out a dagger from his belt and blocked an attack to his side. He took a deep breath before pushing two of the men back, but they were quickly replaced by two others. "Damn." He cursed under his breath.

Arthur glared towards the place Alfred fought. "I can fight well enough… How did they get in here anyway…?"

"I don't know. Just don't risk it. Do you want him to get hurt because you got in the way?" Oliver argued.

Arthur took a deep breath, he didn't know what to do and the sounds he heard from around the corner weren't good. He made a sudden decision and broke free, running to Alfred's aid. As soon as he rounded the corner he hit one of the many men in the face, sending him falling to the ground.

Alfred glanced over as Arthur joined him. "Arthur, you need to get back, what if you get hurt?!" The knight dodged an attack and gracefully swung his blade knocking a man's sword away and then rammed the hilt of his blade into the man's stomach.

"I can manage." Arthur said quickly, tripping a man and pinning him to the ground.

"Just be careful." Alfred warned; he could hear footsteps advancing towards them. He hoped it would be friends not enemies.

Arthur had finished off the remained of the first group when he turned to look towards the source of the noise. The alarm stopped abruptly.

Alfred looked down the hall hoping not to find reinforcements. The tunnel was dark, but as the sounds came closer there was a hint of fire light. "Who is it?" He asked mainly to himself.

A face emerged from the shadows with a blade pointed at the two. "Oh… It's you." Gilbert said, sheathing his blade.

"What's happening? Is everyone alright?" Alfred questioned, his blade still out, the men were merely knocked out, not dead.

"The alarm has stopped, so I'm not sure, I was just cleaning the passages." Gilbert said.

"Oh, I see." Alfred looked to Gilbert. "We need to check on the king."

Just then Oliver walked up from behind.

Arthur turned to his brother and grinned. "See? I'm alright. Who knows what could have happened if I didn't join in and help. Let's go."

Oliver rolled his eyes. "Things could have gone worse if you would've messed up."

"It doesn't matter, let us go." Arthur hurried off behind Gilbert and Alfred.

Alfred glanced at the two princes. "We still need to be careful, we don't know if there are still assassins here." They made their way through the tunnels until they reached a dead end. Alfred watched as Gilbert banged on the wall, a small door that wasn't seen before was opened revealing the king's chambers.

"Francis!" Gilbert called, silence met him. "Francis?" He whispered again, and was responded to with a grunt of acknowledgement. They all stepped through the door, seeing Francis standing by the bed with his head bowed over the king's bed. Gilbert looked at the boys. "Stay here a moment please." He told them, and then he walked up to Francis, putting his hand on the man's shoulder. "What happened?"

He didn't need an answer though, he could see it. The king was lying weakly on the bed, his breathing was heavy and blood coated his side. "Alfred, go get a doctor now." Gilbert ordered with a low voice. "Be quick now, boy!"

Alfred nodded and ran out the door. He rushed down the halls to the infirmary, searching for someone who could help.

* * *

And there you have it, next chapter has been posted. Whoot glad that is finally up. Thank you to anyone who has stay with us so far, we really do love you. Thanks a million times. Next chapter should be posted sometime next week.

Oh and we should tell you, there will be a couple deaths before the story is up. Warning you now!

Again, thank you very much for reading, please R&R Favorite and or Follow

-Through the Loop


	9. Chapter 9

The king shook his head weakly as Alfred left the room. "It's too late now. I'm poisoned… Arthur… Come here." He reached out after seeing his son.

The two knights stepped away from the king, giving Arthur room. Francis bowed his head, how could he allow this to happen?

Arthur stepped forward and held the old man's hand. He gulped, was this really happening? "…f… Yes Father?"

"Arthur, you will make a great king. I believe you can do this right…" The king's voice was weak, he squeezed Arthur's hand.

"N… No! You're going to be okay! I'm not ready!" Arthur said.

The king released his grip on the prince's hand and cupped his face. "You can do this; you will lead us to peace." He then turned to Oliver. "Come here my son."

Oliver hesitated a moment before stepping forward.

"I want you to stand by your brother and help him through this. You are strong and smart, you are my son." He took both Arthur's and Oliver's hands in his own.

"… Alright…" was all he could say. "I will."

"Good. I'm proud of you, my boys." The king rested his head against his pillows, closing his eyes. Just then Alfred ran in, pulling a doctor along with him.

Arthur stared wide eyed. "No…No!" He squeezed his father's hand and the doctor put a hand on his shoulder. The young prince hung his head and closed his eyes. "Why?! Damnit!"

Everyone in the room bowed their heads in sorrow for their lost king. Alfred wanted to run to his prince and comfort him, but Francis stopped him.

Tears escaped from Arthurs eyes leaving small trails of salty liquid down his cheeks.

The king's grip slackened and his hands fell to his sides. The doctor bowed to Arthur before he pulled a white sheet over the kings paled face.

Gilbert turned to Arthur, "We need to prepare your coronation. We are on the brink of a war; we cannot be without a king." He looked to Francis. "We cannot allow Arthur to be alone; he is going to be their next target."

Alfred stepped forward. "I will stand by his side."

Arthur cast his emerald eyes to his knight sadly. "…Thank you."

Francis finally spoke up. "You are going to need more than just one guard." It was obvious Francis was distressed, he blamed himself.

"Of course," Oliver said. "We will have the funeral in the morning, the coronation doesn't have to be giant, but we should try to have it done within three days if possible.

Francis nodded. "We will have to hold a ball in your honor so you can make relations with the nobles."

Arthur nodded but didn't say anything. Everybody in the room exchanged glances. A few nurses entered and the doctor nodded. "… We're going to get him ready. You all may want to pay your last respects and leave."

Alfred walked up beside his prince and waited for him to finish paying his respects to his deceased father. He could see the small shivers that went through the prince's body. The knight wanted so badly to put his arms around the prince, to comfort him and tell him everything would work out, but he couldn't.

Arthur only stood there a moment before shaking his head and leaving the room quickly.

Alfred followed close behind. Once they were out of ear shot Alfred spoke. "Arthur… Are you alright?"

"… I'm fine." He muttered. "…I'm going to wash up then go to bed." It was only barely nightfall. "Wake me up if anything happens."

"Right… I will…" Alfred let out a sigh. "I'm sorry."

"What for? I'm fine." Arthur started up the stairwell and didn't look behind him. Francis caught up to Alfred. "… I'll help you tonight."

"Alright… They are probably still here waiting for a chance to get him…" Alfred said in a low voice as the two men trailed after Arthur.

"We should have three guards on duty at all times at least." Francis said.

"I know…" Alfred looked to his teacher and friend. "Francis… Are you alright?"

"Yes… I'm alright… but I failed…"

"You did your best though, there should have been others there to help you Francis. Don't blame yourself…" Alfred argued.

"… Of course…" Francis sighed. "We should turn our attentions to our new king. He will need our support with this."

"Right…" Alfred quickened his pace to catch up with Arthur. "I had a bad feeling about today, I couldn't sit still… I guess this is why… I should have known… we could have been more prepared…" He glanced around; the only person near them was Francis. He reached out and grabbed the prince's hand pulling him into a tight embrace. "I wish I wasn't right."

Arthur stood still for a long time as Alfred held him, feeling comfort from his hold. "Good lord, what am I going to do?"

"You are going to do what your father has said. You are going to lead your people to peace; you are going to become a great king… The greatest. I will be there by your side through it all. I believe in you." Alfred whispered.

"… But we're on the brink of war… It seems like Oliver supports it and… We haven't even sorted us out yet…" His eyes opened in realization that Francis was still standing there and he straightened pulling himself from Alfred's grip. "Francis…"

`Francis shook his head, a sad smile on his face. "You two need to be careful, Arthur is now the king."

"Not quite yet… But, Francis… Does this mean I have to get married?"

"Most likely. I'm sorry Arthur." Francis sighed.

"But…" Arthur glanced at his knight and let out a breath. "Of course… I knew this was coming anyway… How soon?"

"You won't have to just yet." Francis stated. "But sometime soon."

Alfred deflated just a bit, but he knew this was going to happen sooner or later.

Arthur nodded. "Right… A king must do his duty I suppose… and I will…." He turned and continued up the stairs.

Alfred sighed as they reached the prince's room; Arthur had already entered the chambers, shutting the door behind him. Alfred stood with Francis outside the door. "I'm going to go inside, if that's alright with you."

"If you wouldn't mind locking the window and scanning the room, that'd be alright." Francis said.

Alfred nodded and knocked on the door. "Arthur, I'm coming in." He heard Arthur mumble a sound that he assumed was permission to come in. Alfred entered the room, closing the door behind him; He checked the room for any persons then locked the windows. He turned to face Arthur.

Arthur eyed him and sighed. "Right then…" He reached for the door of his washroom. "What is it?"

"I just… I just want to be here for you… I can leave if you want…" Alfred looked at his feet and shifted his weight.

"…I know…" Arthur sighed. "I'm sorry Alfred… I'm being foolish."

"No, you're not. There is no need to apologize." Alfred protested.

"He's gone… Alfred… What… Why did we ever think…? Why did I ever believe maybe… We could've… Of course not… I'm a fool… I've always been."

Alfred walked up behind the prince, wrapping his arms around him. "I-I'm sorry. I love you, even if you have to marry, I will love you."

"I know… That's what hurts…" The prince closed his eyes. "Damnit…"

Alfred placed a kiss on the prince's neck. "Do what you have to do. I will be here standing by your side, no matter what choices you make."

"… They aren't my choices… Alfred… I… I'm completely sure now that… I love you…and… now… Father is gone… ugh… I just don't know…"

"I guess for now… All we can do is just keep moving… We don't know the future; we don't know what's going to happen." Alfred said, his breath tingling the prince's collar.

"I know… I just… need time… Thank you, Alfred…" He sighed and opened the door to his bathing room.

Alfred dropped his hands to his side. "… I know…"

"… Thank you again." Arthur didn't make eye contact before entering the washroom and closing the door. He stood in silence for a long while before realizing he hadn't ordered any heated water to be set up for him. He sighed, not wanting to disturb anybody; he went into the small room attached to his bathroom where a fireplace was kept for just this purpose. He added wood and began heating the water.

Arthur took a seat, crossing his legs as he waited for the water to be heated. While sitting there he felt rather pathetic and eventually hung his head, taking a shuttered breath. He didn't allow himself to cry though. After sitting in his own sorrows for a while, he decided the water was heated enough. He quickly undressed before sliding into the warmth of the water. "This is useless." He whispered to himself, and rubbed his eyes with the flats of his palms. "I'm going to be king soon… I can't mope like this."

He wrapped his arms around his knees pulling them to his chest, the only form of comforts were from the warmth of the water and the thought that Alfred stood right outside the door. He shivered despite himself. "I'm sick of this…" He mumbled, and then looked toward the door. "Alfred?"

"Yes?" Alfred said from the other side of the door. "What is it?"

"I just wanted to make sure you were still there…"

* * *

"I don't see the point in having a ball." Arthur complained to his brother. "It practically screams 'kill me.'"

"Well, it is tradition… I know it isn't the greatest of ideas, but you will have many guards with you." Oliver said, comforting his brother.

Arthur sighed, straightening the cloak around his shoulders. "We may be going to war… Tradition is… Oh, never mind."

Oliver smiled. "I know. You are not exactly the traditional type." He motioned his head towards Alfred.

"Oh, that has nothing to do with it… I just think this is more dangerous than it's worth, is all." Arthur sighed.

"Do you want them to think you a coward?"

"Of course not, but this is just… Oh never mind… I suppose I'm just making excuses since I'm not in a festive mood." The prince muttered.

"None of us are, but it gives everyone something to do to take our minds off of this tragedy." Oliver said.

"I suppose it is nice for the kingdom, hmm?..." Arthur sighed. "The people need a bit of relief but next thing you know, they will be asking for a wedding."

Alfred walked over to the two bowing formally. "Your majesties." He was dressed in fancy attire that fit his body perfectly. There were small plates of armor placed throughout the fabric to keep him safe if there was an attack. His hair was combed back neatly; save for that one strand that never did listen. He had a sword placed in a sheath at his side along with a dagger and other weapons. He was both beautiful and dangerous at the same time. "I hope your evening has been going well."

"I take it, it is time?" Arthur asked.

"Yes, pardon my intrusion." Once more Alfred bowed.

"You're fine… Don't be so formal." Arthur gave him a small sad smile. "We're not at the ball yet." He placed a kiss upon his knight's lips, not caring that his brother stood right before them.

Alfred blushed. "But your brother is right there."

"Oh… Did I not tell you he knows?" Arthur blushed.

"You didn't… He did…" Alfred said.

"I think I made it clear I knew when I said he was your whore." He flashed a fake smile at Alfred. "I'm sorry about that by the way."

"Yeah…" Alfred averted his eyes, he wondered if he'd ever be able to tell Arthur what Oliver had done. "I'm sorry Arthur; I will try not to be so formal."

"Well… Just when we're alone…" He sighed and pulled away. "We should go."

Alfred nodded. "I know. We need to go now." He took the prince's hand and gave it a squeeze before releasing it.

The prince smiled at his knight sadly and gave him one last kiss before leaving the room. "Are you coming Oliver?"

"Yes. I am." Oliver said as he straightened himself up. He watched his brother leave before heading towards the door, but instead of walking out; he suddenly grabbed Alfred by his collar and pulled him close speaking quietly but firmly. "Listen here Mr. Knight, I don't care if you two are in love, and if you do ANYTHING to hurt my brother I will end you. Got it?" He pulled the knight even closer.

"I won't hurt him. I promise." Alfred stepped back away from the older prince.

Oliver nodded before leaving to the ball room. Alfred followed close behind. The crowd was thick and it took Alfred a moment to locate Arthur, but when he did, he noticed he was surrounded by a trio of guards he had met long ago the day he became a knight in training. He sighed in relief and followed Oliver to him, but kept a wary eye on the other prince. Alfred walked over to the group with a smile. "Hey, long time no see."

They nodded at him. "Well, what are we to do when you're so important, hmm?" Feliciano said. She was older now, and Alfred was noticing she looked a lot less like a boy but wondered if she had ever developed breasts. If she did, it didn't show. He noticed Yao was missing from the group.

Alfred nodded. "Things have been busy. How has training been?" he asked, and then looked to Arthur with a smile.

The prince smiled back and winked before turning to face the group of knights. "Thank you all for being here tonight." He said hesitantly before laughing. "I can't believe you were all in training not too long ago, it's fun to see the whole group together again… but… Yao became the doctors apprentice, am I correct?"

"That's where he is? So I guess he must have had a talent with medicine, then?" Alfred smiled back brightly.

The others nodded. "He discovered that, shortly after you started training individually to be a bodyguard." Ludwig said before patting Alfred's shoulder. "It's good to see you again Alfred."

Oliver approached the group. "If we're finished with the reunion, we should being the festivities. The sooner this begins, the sooner it will be over."

"I couldn't agree more," Arthur answered.

"Sorry." Alfred said shrinking back from the group. "I'm glad he found his calling." He turned to Arthur a small smile on his lips. "I'm ready when you are."

Arthur sighed. "Well, you better be ready on your own, because I'm not." He smiled sheepishly. "But thank you." They made their way to the back of the ball room and the other guards assumed their positions at different points from around the room, some in high places with crossbows, (Feliciano never missed, it was a talent she had discovered, as well) and others hiding their weapons positioned around the room. The crowd parted and went silent as they walked through it and Francis approached from behind while Oliver positioned himself next to Arthur. Arthur sat down in the throne; he was sitting in the throne that was once his father's and Alfred stood next to him as his loyal guard with his head held high.

"Do you really think they would attack you? There are so many people here…" Alfred whispered to the prince, his eyes scanning the crowd for anything that looked suspicious.

"We can never be too careful. Crowds are easy to sneak a murder." The prince sighed; he too looked through the crowds of people.

Alfred glanced down at the prince. "I hope today is uneventful."

"Oh me too." Francis stepped forward, causing them to cease their whispers.

Alfred glanced at the elder knight; he has been on edge since that night, always wary about what has been going on around them.

Francis cleared his throat and spoke to the large group. "In the state of events, we find ourselves in need of a new king. Our beloved ruler has passed and seen his son, Arthur Kirkland, worthy of the crown. We would choose to recognize him at this time… We sustain Prince Arthur as ruler of this country, its protector, its servant. If there are any that oppose, manifest it at this time."

People looked around to see if anyone was willing to reject their new king. No one spoke a word against him. Francis smiled. "Then I hereby declare…" Arthur stood and stepped forward as Antonio gave Francis a silver pillow with the crown sitting atop of it. He took it and placed it on the prince's head and giving the prince a scepter after taking it from Gilbert. "Our new ruler, King Arthur!" He bowed down and so did the entire crowd, Alfred and Oliver got down on one knee, as well.

Arthur cleared his throat and held the scepter forward. "I vow on my father's blade to protect this country, to serve until the end of my days and to ensure the happiness for all." The crowd cheered and he allowed a sad smile to slop on his lips as he knew, he meant that with all his heart. Happiness for everybody… Except himself…

After people gave their congratulations to their new king, music began to play and people took partners and started to dance. It was a beautiful scene. The room was brightly lit by candle and torch; there was a wide variety of flowers arranged around the ball room. Men and women joined hands and danced, dresses flowing with every movement.

Arthur smiled at the scene before him. He looked over at Alfred. "It's not as awful as I thought it would be… Dad always liked these things more than me, and I must say they are more fun when I'm not forced to be a part of them."

"I have only been to one other ball… and I can't say I had much fun… It was your birthday, remember that?" Alfred whispered back to the prince. "I'm glad you're enjoying yourself, even if it is only a little bit."

"I do remember that… ha… that was… interesting to say the least." The prince replied.

"Yeah, very interesting, but it was also such an important day…" Alfred looked away, remembering the events that took place after and before the ball.

"Arthur smiled faintly. "Yes… Of course…" He looked around before reaching his hand over the arm of the throne and squeezing Alfred's hand, Alfred was standing close enough that nobody would really notice, and then he withdrew. "I thought about squeezing your ass while I was there, but I decided that wouldn't be a great plan."

Alfred straightened; a small blush crept onto his face. "Yeah… It probably is not the best idea, with all these people around and all." The boy smiled at his prince sadly, but as three women approached, he stood at attention. With a curtsy they waited for permission to come closer.

Arthur cocked his eyebrows and glanced around to make sure his knights were at the ready before giving permission. "Yes?"

The women smiled at him kindly, each one was rather beautiful. One of the girls spoke up. "Well, we were wondering if we could keep you company."

The new king cocked his head to the side. "I… Suppose that would be fine, but may I ask why?"

"Forgive me for being blunt your majesty, but you are the king now. We hope if you get to know one of us, there may be the possibility of courtship." The woman said.

Arthur stuttered. "I… My, that was indeed blunt… Forgive me, my ladies but… I will not be seeking any form of Courtship until this trouble with Gercio is put to rest." He smiled kindly. "You are all very beautiful; I am flattered by your interest."

"Forgive us." They each curtsied. "We understand you have a duty to your country first."

"Thank you." He smiled. "But please feel free to enjoy yourselves." He waved politely as they left and looked at Alfred. "Oh… My… Are people going to be that forward all the time?"

"I wonder if they will be…" Alfred looked away, his eyes following those girls.

Arthur sighed. "Why is it girls only think they are attractive when they show as much cleavage as possible? Oh, if only they knew… The only girl I find mildly appealing is Feliciano, and half the time I forget she's a girl at all." He looked at Alfred and sighed with a small smile, "What's the face for?... Jealous?"

"You see right through me…" Alfred ran a hand through his hair. "I should learn to deal with it… You are going to have to fine some woman to marry eventually…"

Arthur frowned. "… We'll see… Maybe there is a way around it…"

"Like what?" Alfred shook his head. "Remember, you are the king, you have to put your country before you and I." Alfred bit his lip and lowered his voice. "Sorry…"

"… I know but… Maybe… Oh, never mind it… Let's not think of it right now…" Arthur chuckled. "Or maybe we could dress you up as a girl."

"I would make one ugly girl." Alfred shivered at the thought.

"Oh I don't know." Arthur shrugged, smiling in a teasing manner at his knight. "All you'd need is a dress and something for your hair."

"My body shape isn't quite right… but maybe it would work… I'd do it if you wanted me to. I would do anything…" Alfred mumbled quietly.

Arthur laughed. "I was teasing… Buuut." His hand crept across his throne to reach for the other after checking his surroundings, but first he saw the signal. "Shit."

"What?" Alfred looked around and saw three flashes come from above. "There is an assassin here."

Arthur glanced around. "Let's try to keep it a secret; panic would only make a kill easier… How many flashes did Feliciano make with the mirror? Does he have a ranged weapon? Nobody else seems so have noticed anything peculiar."

"I saw three, which means the assassin does have a ranged weapon; I'm not too sure what kind yet."

"Damn. I'm an open target." Arthur cleared his throat. "How did a weapon like that get in undetected?"

"It must have been an inside job." Alfred glanced around high and low for any signs of the assassin. "Dance with me?" Alfred held his hand out to the prince.

* * *

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-Through the Loop


	10. Chapter 10

Warning: This chapter contains copious amounts of UKUS, women with heart conditions should refrain from reading this chapter. Women without heart conditions should also refrain from reading it. They are very sexy. See how sexy they are?!

(Quote from Yugioh Abridged. You should be watching.)

This chapter contains MA material (Sex). There will be a warning before it so if you are uncomfortable with that, please don't scar yourself.

* * *

Arthur blinked. "Wh… Now?" Before he could say more, the knight pulled him away from his seat and swiftly into the crowd, just before an arrow flung itself into the back of the throne where Arthur's shoulder would have been. His eyes widened. "Do you see him? Whoever it was just shot an arrow, did nobody see?... Everybody is just dancing like nothing-" He was pulled close to the other man and began moving through the crowd synchronizing their steps.

"No one would notice if an arrow is shot, but if someone fell over dead, they would notice." Alfred led the king through the steps helping him with his footing. "Just follow my movements and you'll be fine." As they turned Alfred eyed where the arrow should have come from, there was no one there. He searched throughout the mass of people for the potential killer.

"The fact we're moving helps. When did you learn to dance?" Arthur asked, glancing around the room anxiously.

"It's one of the many things we study while in training. Francis had taught me before your birthday, but I never did have the chance to use it…" Alfred replied.

"I didn't know that." His eyes flashed. "There." He whispered, spotting a dark skinned woman dressed for the occasion, but with a large shall over her shoulders, easy to hide a weapon in. She was looking around, but luckily Arthur had spotted her first. "I see her, what now?"

"We need to find Francis and get you to safety."

Arthur nodded and as soon as they reached Francis, he was grabbed and pushed into a secret passage. "Antonio and Gilbert are waiting for you; we'll take care of this." Francis shut the door and gave Alfred an apologetic look. "We can't risk her using magic."

"I know." Alfred's eyes searched the crowd easily spotting the woman. "There."

"Keep an eye on her… We kill if we must, but I would much rather get information out of her."

The woman looked around trying to find the prince; she saw nothing and started to exit the room.

"She's lost track of Arthur. Be discreet, grab her from behind and guide her out."

Alfred followed the woman out of the room and looked around the nearly empty corridor, chasing the sound of her footsteps. He rounded the corner to find the girl face to face with Oliver, standing next to an entrance to the secret passageway.

"Your high-" Oliver put the girl into a headlock and took her crossbow. "I got her."

"Are you alright?" Alfred asked the prince worriedly. "You should allow us to deal with this, you risk being injured." Alfred warned.

Oliver smiled. "You're right, forgive me."

"No, no you're fine. We have her now. Could you find Francis?" Alfred asked politely as he took over and held the women. Oliver nodded and disappeared down the hallway. Alfred waited for Francis as the woman struggled in his grip. Soon enough, Francis rounded the corner, Oliver by his side. "Is Arthur alright? He's safe?" Alfred questioned his worry was obvious.

"Yes, he's with Gilbert and Antonio. Let's get this girl to the dungeons; I'll have the rest of the guards scan the castle."

Alfred nodded and the woman tried to wiggle out of his grip. "Oh, no you don't" She looked to Oliver with pleading eyes.

The prince cocked an eyebrow. "Please. You tried to kill my brother and you think I'd vouch for you just because you're pretty? Never." He walked past her and her wide eyes followed him.

"You bastard!" She shouted to Oliver, her struggling picked up. Alfred held on firmly, it was times like these he was thankful for his strength. Yet, he didn't notice her hands reaching for something in the wrinkles of her dress. She suddenly rammed a knife into Alfred's hand, running it straight through and pushing the knife up through the bone, once he had released her from his grasp she ran at Oliver.

"You'll die for-" She collapsed before she could finish.

Oliver stood looking at her with narrow eyes and her own crossbow held up toward her, now released of its ammunition. His eyes widened. "I-I…" He looked from the new corpse to the weapon in his hands and dropped it, stuttering. "I…I didn't th… think… It… Just…" He covered his mouth with his hand.

Francis moved to the prince's side. "It's alright, calm down mon prince." His voice was soothing.

Oliver looked at him with his still wide eyes. "Are you alright?"

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." His eyes fell on the prince's face. "I'm sorry you were put in such a dangerous position. It was my fault for allowing her to get free." Alfred apologized as cradled his hand with his other; blood seeped through the deep wound.

"… It's fine… I just… need to sit down." Oliver hugged his stomach, looking down at the woman. "I've killed assassins before but… God I… Damnit."

Francis placed a gentle hand on the prince's back. "It's not something people get used to."

"… I'm… Oh God Arthur!" Oliver quickly opened the secret passage. "Is he okay? She was headed right for this, if there are more, they may know about these passages!"

"Shit!" Alfred looked to Francis, who in return gave in the okay to find his king. Alfred ran down the tunnels, fortunately he knew where Arthur would be so he easily sprinted around corners. He didn't see anyone in the passageways, not a single person even when he reached the passage that led to the ball room, he didn't see the king or his guards. Panic began to settle in and he peeked into the room before running back to the others. "He's gone, not where we left him." He huffed trying to catch his breath once he was back with Francis and the others. "No sign of them."

Francis's eyes widened "Alright...let's remain calm, maybe Gilbert and Antonio took him some place safer..."

"Safer?... But where would that be?" Alfred shook his head, his hand was still bleeding, but he had completely forgotten about the pain.

"I'm not sure. Perhaps they were attacked and moved further into the tunnels...the nearest exit from the throne room would be...the garden I believe..."

"Right." Alfred nodded, once more taking the tunnels to find the gardens. It gave him a more likely chance to find Arthur.

He was relieved when he did find the king and his two guards in the hedge maze, un-hurt.

"What happened? You guys left. Why?" Alfred questioned, taking deep breaths, trying to get air back into his lungs after that sprint.

"We heard sounds in the tunnels and thought it best we get out of there." Gilbert said. "Is everything taken care of?"

Arthur ran to him. "Alfred! What happened to your hand?!"

Alfred blinked, now remembering the gash. "It's nothing." He turned to Gilbert. "I didn't see or hear anything... The assassin is dead; Oliver killed her to save himself."

Arthur's eyes widened. "Oliver? Did she attack him?"

"Yes, but he's fine... Just a little freaked out." Now that he had found Arthur, the pain in his hand was returning. He stiffened a bit, it was his fighting hand, and would he even be able to hold his sword?

Arthur cradled the knight's hand. "We need to get you to a doctor." He said quickly.

"You're not going anywhere." Gilbert said. "We are taking you back to the throne room as soon as everything is calm again

"We need to keep you safe." Alfred moved his hand out of Arthur's grasp. "I'm alright." He said with a small smile.

Arthur pressed his lips together worriedly. "Fine."

"Francis is looking through the tunnels now. Are you sure it would be alright for the king to be in such an open area? I mean, if we hadn't seen the first assassin, he wouldn't even be alive right now." Alfred shook his head. "We know they are here, someone must have let them in. They know our tunnels. Only the trusted knights and the royal family know these tunnels..."

Alfred looked at his king; relieved that he was safe.

Gilbert sighed. "That's true, but the public will be thrown into a panic if people start figuring out something is wrong." Just then an explosion came from the side of the palace, in the throne room. "...too late..."

Alfred swore. "What's going on?"

A voice suddenly echoed through the entire palace. "Shit, it's magic." Arthur muttered.

"I don't know where the king has gone, but I will set this entire pace on fire if he doesn't show up in the next five minutes. He will not be hurt, I only have an announcement to make and then I will leave." Arthur gulped and looked around at the others.

Alfred looked around taking a deep breath. "What should we do? This has gotten too dangerous; we have a magician here now..."

Arthur pressed his lips together. "I know it doesn't help us to believe false promises...but I can't let him torch the place..."

"What if he tries to kill you? There isn't much we can do to defend against such attacks!" Alfred shook his head.

"But he has the people that I have just sworn to protect in there!"

Alfred clenched his fists and looked to Gilbert. He knew Arthur was right.

"...I'm going." Arthur quickly paced away from the group and to the large hole that had just been made in the wall.

Alfred ran to catch up with him. "I will stand by your side."

Arthur squeezed his hand. "Thank you." He whispered before letting go and turning to walk into the throne room behind the large chairs, seeing a young blonde man standing there. He could see Feliciano in the balcony, her cross bow gone. He flinched slightly realizing how helpless he was before standing on top of this throne and looking at the boy in the silent ball room. "I'm here." He said loudly. "What is your message?"

Alfred stood beside the king; if he had to he would take whatever kind of magic this man could throw at him.

The boy turned to face the king with a swish of his cloak. "That was fast." He said with a grin. "We have been defending ourselves in the east, but we are ready now. Consider this a return to your proposal. You didn't give up after we took out your previous king. Consider us on the offensive" He snapped his fingers and the rubble all came together to reform the wall of the throne room. "If a war is what you want you'll get one." He said and then he disappeared.

Arthur stared in shock at where the man had been standing. Nothing made sense anymore.

"What does he mean by that? I thought we were trying not to take part in this war?" Alfred questioned, he too was confused by the magician's words. What proposal was he talking about?

"I… Thought so too…" Gilbert entered from the back of the ballroom soon after. "We need everybody to exit."

Arthur nodded and announced, "We are sorry to cut the festivities short, but we ask you all to leave quickly and calmly." A number of people didn't look all to calm, but they did as was requested by their prince. Arthur watched them go and added. "I will have more guards patrolling the streets tonight; I ask you all to stay in your homes as much as you can."

"Things are getting dangerous. I wonder where he went not too far I assume. Most likely he's still in the castle." Gilbert turned to a few guards. "The magician could still be here; find him!" He ordered.

Arthur nodded to the guards dismissing them. Once the crow was clear, Arthur turned to Francis. "War meeting now."

Francis nodded then glanced to the younger knight. "Alfred I want you to be there, but first get your hand checked out. It would be bad if it gets infected."

"Right, I will get that done right away. Am I dismissed?" Alfred asked.

"Go quickly." Francis demanded before turning to a group of guards. "Send word out to the council, we will be holding a meeting in two hours."

Arthur let out a long sigh. While the two hours passed he discussed what had happened with Oliver. He still seemed a little shaken from the whole thing. Arthur knew that his brother had killed once before, but he had never seen him so stunned before. His strong, brave brother. He comforted the man. Arthur had never known the feeling of his hands being stained with another human's blood, but he never wanted to know it either. He thought back to Alfred, he has yet to kill anyone and had even expressed his fears about it.

By the time they began the meeting it was past midnight. Alfred was already in the meeting room; his hand had been wrapped up after he was given stitches. After that he was to take medicine that would help ease the pain. He didn't look fully awake because the medicine was very strong.

Arthur stood to speak. "First of all… They seem to believe this entire war was our fault…" The group began to mingle about that thought, what had they done to do that? "I don't understand it either, but it seems clear they have declared war."

"Well, then what do you suppose we do?" A man in the back asked.

"I'm not sure. We could see about discussing it directly with them… But I'm not even sure we know everything."

Alfred spoke up. "So, we know they think we were the instigators, they thought they were defending themselves. We also know they have an inside source here and that is how they probably were able to get to the king."

"Yes...everybody should keep an eye out for suspicious behavior. Don't trust anybody for certain besides the people in this room. Anything is to be reported to Francis, Oliver, or me immediately"

"So the question is, though, what do you suppose we do? Do we join in on this war, do we surrender, or do we try to make peace with them? It hasn't worked thus far." A man in the back spoke.

"I know...but if they are on the offense now we have no choice until I can arrange a proper meeting with their king."

"We will send a messenger out tonight to ask for audience with their king, for now, I believe we should protect our own. Try not to fight too much."

"Of course, but we also can't let them burn down villages with innocent people in them."

"We can keep sending out small groups of troops to help protect the villages."

The meeting dragged on until three in the morning before everybody headed to bed, not much done except the conclusion that in their current predicament nothing could be done.

Alfred escorted Arthur back to his quarters. "Are you alright?" He asked tiredly.

"No...I can't do a thing." Francis trailed behind them and motioned for Feliciano and Ludwig to follow as well.

"Well, we are doing something right, asking for a meeting with their king. That is a good start." Alfred said, always trying to look on the bright side.

"We don't know enough to even predict if that's a good idea, and there has to be a traitor in our midst." He let out a frustrated sigh. "You'll be on guard duty soon, won't you?"

"Yes, I'm pretty much on it now." Alfred sighed as a wave of exhaustion went through him. He rubbed his wounded hand, the pain medicine was wearing off, and maybe he should stop by the infirmary again.

Arthur sighed. "Of course..." He looked back at Alfred as they reached his door and glanced back at the other's coming up the stairs. Francis, Ludwig, and Feliciano. He sighed and very suddenly didn't care. He reached to Alfred's collar, grabbed it and pulled him down into a deep kiss, right in front of them. He heard a gasp from Feliciano and an uncomfortable sound from her dear Ludwig. Francis may have given an exasperated sigh, but he didn't look back at them before letting go and walking into his room, shutting the door on all four of the guards.

Alfred looked at the others, shifting his weight uncomfortably. Well, they knew now. He let out a sigh.

Feliciano blinked a few times and looked at Alfred's expression. "Don't worry." She smiled. "You kept our secret." She and Ludwig exchanged looks.

Francis shook his head "All of you are...Alfred..." He sighed. "I relieve you of your watch."

"Thank you." Alfred bowed his head.

Francis sighed. "I relieved you from your watch because Arthur needs you...Go be with him...I hate to say it like this, but he has just become the youngest king in our history...and... He needs his queen...go be with him."

Francis muttered something along the lines of "I can't believe I'm encouraging this."

Alfred smiled at him and walked through the door

Arthur was standing at the window, his coat tossed aside carelessly. He had loosened everything uncomfortable and let out a long sigh. He turned to look at Alfred while tugging his collar loose. "Yes?"

Alfred walked over to him. "I was given permission to stay here... If you'd like..." He stood awkwardly as he waited for the prince's response. "I hope you are alright, I know this is a lot of stress, especially for your first real day of being king. I'm sorry."

Arthur sighed and shook his head. "I don't know what to do. Alfred I knew I wasn't ready for this."

"You have done a fine job this far." Alfred reached out, his hand brushing against the king's shoulder.

"I've done nothing! I've been acted upon; I stood on a throne and yelled at somebody, and got out of talking to women. That's all I've done. I can't..." He ran both his hands through his hair. "I can't Alfred...I need...Help...Why did father have to die damnit? I'm not ready!"

"We have set up a meeting, what more can you do. A war with them would end in a slaughter of your people. This is about all we can do right now, try to get to the bottom of this." Alfred reasoned. He reached for both of Arthurs hands, ignoring the slight pain as he did so; he gave them both a squeeze as he tried to calm the prince. "Another day, you can do more. But right now, there is nothing that can be done."

"I know it's...I...Alfred..." he hung his head. "What's...going to happen to everybody?... We know there is a traitor...we're on our toes...if Gercio doesn't destroy us the tension will."

"We will do our best to protect the people." Alfred pulled the king into a loving hug.

Arthur let out a shuttered breath. "What if I'm not strong enough?"

"I will be right here by your side to support you." Alfred held him tight, and kissed the king's lips. "I know you will lead this country to peace. I can feel it."

"You DON'T know that though." Arthur closed his eyes and his brow furrowed. "You always say things like that. Like everything will be okay...but you can't prove that, how do you know? What can you really do?"

"I-I don't know... I can't prove anything, but-" Alfred paused. "We cannot allow ourselves to give up!"

"...What do we do then?..."

"We just gotta keep moving. I don't know how to make them realize their mistakes but I know we can try, and we will try."

"You keep saying we..." Arthur looked into Alfred's eyes. He opened his mouth to say something but then just sighed and closed his eyes. "I'm king now..."

"We... you and I, the kingdom, and everyone Arthur." Alfred explained. "Just because you are king, doesn't mean you have to carry these burdens alone."

"I can't put you in danger Alfred..."

Alfred shook his head. "I have been in danger my whole life. Since I was a boy, I'm used to it Arthur. I can handle myself." He said with a sad smile. "Don't worry about me."

"...Alfred... Tell me what you want me to do..."

"I want you to calm down... Everything has been done that can be done. Just stop thinking about it, just for now... Allow yourself to relax."

"..." Arthur hung his head. "How are you always so sure...that everything will be okay?" His shoulders slumped and he leaned forward limply into his Knight's arms.

Alfred wrapped his arms around the king. "I just have faith in you..." He placed another kiss on Arthur's lips, before pulling away slightly looking into Arthur's eyes.

Arthur sighed and smiled faintly. "Well...that makes one of us..." He pursed his lips together. "It's just...how can I trust my judgments when I don't know who to trust?...the traitor could be anybody..."

"You will have to really think before you decide to do something; don't let others make a decision for you." Alfred said.

"...But...I can't do this alone..." he sighed.

"You won't have to. I'll be right here with you... Arthur... Do..." He looked away shyly. "Do you... want to...well..." He face was on fire.

Arthur looked up at him. "What is it?" He cocked an eyebrow. "...what's wrong? You're face hardly matches the conversation..."

"I know... Sorry... I just... Never mind..."

"Alfred...Talk to me..."

"Arthur... I want you to... make me your queen..." He couldn't look at the king when those words left his lips, his face was on fire. "I-I'm sorry, I know... now's not the time... but I thought... that you could use something to take your mind away from all of this..."

Alfred looked at anything but Arthur as he awaited his answer, shifting his weight.

Arthur blinked. "You want me to...Is...that all or...well metaphorically of course...but..." He smiled slightly. "This is your try at being sweet and symbolic? You know what queens do, don't you?" He let a small childish chuckle escape his lips.

Alfred nodded, finally looking at Arthur. "I just... I want to make you happy, I want to be with you..." Alfred leaned into a kiss.

Arthur kissed him back and wrapped his arms around you. "Alfred...Don't worry...it means the world to me...it means...you'll be my queen right?...you'll be right behind me...and keep me from screwing up...I love you...thank you, Alfred." He kissed him again, this time more firmly.

"I will be your queen; I will always be by your side." He pulled him closer, if that was at all possible. "I love you too."

Arthur exhaled. "Alfred...Thank you so much..." He slowly wrapped his arms around the other and ran his slim fingers through his golden locks.

Alfred leaned his head against the king's shoulder, his breath warm on Arthur's skin; he smiled and placed a soft kiss upon Arthur's skin.

Arthur clung tighter to his knight. "… Are you sure Alfred?"

"Yes… I want you." He nodded and to prove his point he led Arthur over to the bed.

* * *

(Well here is the scene. We hope you enjoy it. Do not read if you are uncomfortable with lemon)

Arthur faintly laughed. "Alfred… I-" But in a moment he was on the bed with Alfred on top of him, their lips locked in a passionate frenzy. When Arthur finally got a chance to breath he gasped. "I take it that's… my cue to shut up."

Alfred laughed to himself as he looked at the king; his face was colored a light shade of pink. "I love you." He said once more.

Arthur smiled back. "I love you too…" He then flipped them over and began pressing kisses all up and down Alfred's neck, chest and jaw.

Alfred let out short quiet gasps of pleasure as the prince kissed him. Arthur knew all of Alfred's sensitive areas and each kiss was place upon each one.

Arthur grinned against the knight's pulse before licking it and holding his shoulder down as he shuddered. "You're so cute." He whispered.

The knight stifled a moan as Arthur's tongue trailed along his skin. "We've gone over this; I'm not cute." Alfred said in a mumbled protest, but he still had a small smile forming on his lips.

"Fine, adorable then." The king began working at the buttons of his guard's coat. Alfred just rolled his eyes and wrapped his arms around the king. Arthur grinned. "Not arguing?... Maybe I should call you sexy…" He tugged away the ties on Alfred's tunic and pressed a kiss to his chest.

Alfred chuckled. "I kinda gave up on it, you always do anyways." He leaned forward and placed a kiss on the king's forehead.

"Glad to hear it." The king laughed. "And by the way, have I ever told you I have a thing for a man in uniform?" He ran his hands down Alfred's now bare chest, but his open coat and tunic had been left on his shoulders.

"Really? I don't think you have… but really, will I be in this uniform for long?" Alfred said while trying to make his voice sound seductive.

"Hmm… The pants will have to go, but I wouldn't mind leaving the rest on." He licked his lips. "Your voice sounds funny." He said with a smile.

"Does it, really?" Alfred looked away blush on his face.

Arthur grinned. "And that is why you're adorable… But… It doesn't matter what you are, as long as you're mine." He placed a gentle kiss on Alfred's forehead.

Alfred smiled. "Of course."

The king kissed Alfred's chin, then up to his lips. "… And I know it will end up fine if I listen to my queen." He grinned against the knight's skin. "I love you."

"I know, I love you too Arthur." The knight reached up fiddling with the ties on Arthur's tunic revealing the man's torso some. He bent forward and placed a wet kiss upon the king's chest.

Arthur grinned. "Getting eager are we?... Maybe I'm talking too much?"

"No, I like hearing your voice." Alfred smiled.

"Do you now?" He grinned and tugged at Alfred's trousers until his manhood was exposed to the open air. The king sat upright straddling him. He pondered for a moment how to make this different from their other experiments… Then he grinned. "Alfred…"

"Yes?" Alfred questioned glancing at the king. "What is it?" He shivered the air was cold around him.

Arthur trailed his fingertips lightly over his knight's chest and down to just above his cock. "Close your eyes would you?"

"C-close my eyes? Why?" Alfred eyed the prince unsure of what he was planning.

"Hush." Arthur motioned with a finger to Alfred's lips. "That's an order, my dear." Alfred sighed but did as was asked, closing his blue eyes. He trusted Arthur even if he was a bit nervous. Arthur let out a breath and ran his finger down Alfred's already hardening member. Once he was satisfied he got off of Alfred and situated himself between the knight's legs. Then, he lowered his lips to the tip of his partner's cock.

Alfred held in a moan, biting his lower lip; trying to keep the sound from leaving his lips.

Arthur grinned. That was the reaction he wanted. He opened his mouth around it and sucked ever so slightly.

Alfred arched his back wanting to feel more. He let out quiet moans.

Arthur watched, fairly pleased with himself and realizing he very much enjoyed the shape of Alfred's back when it's arched. In fact, he was so tantalized by it he forgot what he was doing until Alfred dropped back to the mattress with a whine. "That's no good." He mumbled. Arthur licked a trail from the base to the tip, keeping an eye on his lover.

Alfred opened his eyes with a loud moan as a wave of pleasure washed over him.

Arthur took a deep breath and went for it, taking as much of Alfred as he could into his mouth.

Alfred's hips lifted off the bed, he was beginning to feel that he was about to reach his climax. "Arthur," He gasped in a husky voice.

Arthur sensed it too and hummed to create a vibration before pulling away completely and kissing his mouth with a grin. "Tsk, Not so soon silly." He chided, only feeling slightly guilty at his sadistic nature as he watched Alfred's quivering form.

Alfred whined as Arthur pulled away. "I want you Arthur."

"Patience," Arthur licked his lips as he grinned and decided his pants were getting a little too tight. "You wanted me to make you my queen, right?" he tugged his trousers down until he could lift one of his legs out of them and leaned forward onto Alfred's chest, sliding their erections against each other. "… So does that mean…" He placed a kiss on the knight's lips, "Can I take you, then?"

Alfred nodded as he looked at his king and sucked in a breath as he felt Arthur's touch.

The king smiled fondly, despite his slightly sadistic sexual preferences and the lust that clouded the moment, he couldn't help thinking to himself how much he truly loved this man. He sat back up, lightly running his hands over Alfred's pert nipples as he did. He was a bit nervous, unsure of what to do now. He adjusted and peeled Alfred's pants off the rest of the way, giving his erection an extra pump as he did. He spread the knight's legs and kept a hold from behind his knees, positioning himself at his entrance. He cleared his throat. "I… wonder if there… Is any precaution to take… I'm not entirely sure if I'm doing this right…"

"I wouldn't know…" Alfred said biting his lip.

"Well… Girls have a natural lubricant… Would we need to substitute something, you think?... I'm worried about hurting you." Arthur said.

"A substitute might be a good idea…" Alfred said.

Arthur looked around, what on earth could he use?

Alfred shook his head thinking for a bit. "Oil maybe?"

Arthur laughed lightly. "Oil?" Then he spotted a teaspoon and bottle of coconut oil on his bed side. "Of course." He picked it up. "The maid must have left it here for me; this is supposed to be healthy for royal blood or something… Of course I never believed that, but I'm certainly glad she does." He said while picking up the bottle.

Alfred nodded and shifted, his hands snaked up the king's chest and he started to draw small circles on the man's skin.

Arthur smiled at him and coated his fingers in the bottle's contents. "Let's try a finger first."

"Go ahead… I'm ready." Alfred gulped fully aware that it will probably hurt.

Arthur nodded and adjusted Alfred's legs wider then reached and pressed a slick finger against the knight's tight entrance.

Alfred's breath hitched and his body tensed, He groaned and gripped at the sheets. The finger felt strange inside him, a little uncomfortable, but somehow he felt like it brought him closer to Arthur. He gasped. "You can keep going…"

Arthur pressed his lips together; he wasn't too sure what else he could do, so he pressed a second finger into his partner.

Alfred sucked in a shuddered breath, grasping at the sheets.

Arthur bit his lip. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Alfred said with a faint smile. "You can keep going."

Arthur nodded and moved his fingers inside in a scissor type motion trying to stretch him out. He heard a moan and took that as a sign he was doing something right. "Good?"

"Yeah," Alfred breathed. "Good."Arthur waited for a while before pulling his fingers out and slicking his own member with oil and repositioning himself. "You think you're ready?"

"Yeah, I'm ready." Alfred gave a reassuring smile.

Arthur nodded and pressed himself in, making it halfway before Alfred yelped and he stopped. "Are you alright? Does it hurt?"

"A little…" He took a few deep breaths and wrapped his arms around Arthur's neck feeling comfort in his touch. He waited a while until he was adjusted to Arthur being inside of him. He nodded. "You can keep going."

Arthur gulped, he felt sweat beading on his forehead and he pressed deeper until he couldn't move any further in and he released a breath he didn't know he had been holding. He leaned forward; kissing Alfred's neck and trailing up his throat with open mouthed kisses, feeling every crevice of his moist body. He felt closer to the knight every moment as their sweat sheeted bodies pressed together, the warmth contrasting the chilled air around them from the open window.

"I love you Arthur." The knight gasped while tightening his grip around the man's neck pulling him closer and pressing a sloppy kiss to his lips.

"I love you too… T… tell me if I hurt you okay?" He breathed heavily onto the knight's neck, pulling out slightly so he could thrust back in.

Alfred gasped, his fingers pressed hard against Arthur's back. "Kay." Sweat beaded down his face.

Arthur started slowly running his hand over every inch of skin he could reach. Then as a surprise he pulled out so only the tip was inside, but then thrust back in as hard and deep as he could. Alfred's back arched dramatically and Arthur took advantage, wrapping his arms around him and under his shirt, running his fingers down the man's spine.

Alfred shuddered and moaned with pleasure; he wrapped his legs around the king pulling him in.

Arthur smiled, picking up the pace. He wanted to be closer, to feel more, he couldn't get enough. "Hnngh!" He gasped. "A… Alfred…" He began breathlessly kissing the knight everywhere he could, trailing his hand's everywhere he couldn't. He moved one hand down and began to slowly pump Alfred's growing erection.

"Ahh! Arthur!" Alfred gasped longingly. He arched his back, wanting more of Arthur, rocking his hips in time with the king's thrusts.

"Hmm, there we go." Arthur grinned. "Let's see if you can keep up then." He chuckled, leaving a possessive mark on Alfred's neck. He changed his angle slightly and picked up the pace.

Alfred moaned as he moved in rhythm with Arthur.

Arthur breathed heavily, moaning loudly. He suddenly reached up and cupped the back of Alfred's head, yanking him up so their mouths could meet. He didn't slow down as his kissed with all the vigor of his thrusts.

Alfred practically melted in Arthur's hot kiss.

Arthur bit at the knight's bottom lip, reaching down to pump his erection tightly in hand. "Mmmn. Alfred you're so tight…" He felt his balls tighten, but felt determined to cum after his partner.

Alfred gasped feeling warmth make its way through his body. "Ahh." He gasped in pleasure. He arched his back about to reach his climax.

Arthur moaned loudly and pumped a few more times before he felt Alfred's climax cover his hand. He breathed heavily; pleased with himself he thrust a few more times before climaxing inside his queen. He let out a long breath and kissed Alfred's neck before pulling out and hugging Alfred close.

Alfred clung to him wrapping his arms and legs tightly around him.

The king waited and pressed a kiss to Alfred's forehead. "Are you alright, my queen?" He whispered with a slight smile.

Alfred nodded, pressing his lips to Arthur's as his fingers lightly traced rings on Arthur's chest.

Arthur sat up and pulled the sheets over Alfred's body. "That shirt may get uncomfortable, love."

Alfred nodded and stripped off his shirt, throwing it lazily to the side and moved closer to the king.

Arthur smiled at him as he pulled the sheets over them, kicking his pants off the rest of the way as he did. "I'll have the maid bring fresh sheets in the morning."

"Probably a good idea." Alfred mumbled as he wrapped an arm around the other man placing a kiss on his bare chest before laying his head there.

Arthur wrapped his arms around him too. "So… Queen Alfred?" He smiled teasingly and kissed his forehead.

"Yes?" Alfred asked with a small smile upon his lips and a quiet chuckle.

The king ran his thin fingers up and down Alfred's chest. "How do you feel about doing THAT every once in a while?"

"I wouldn't mind it…" Alfred said, blush painting his face as he laid a kiss on Arthur's neck.

Arthur pulled him closer. "Good to hear… Alfred…"

* * *

Goodness it was hard to post this. I (iseal) feel like such a prude. Sorry for the long wait, Midterms, chemisty Dx, moved a couple weeks ago... Yeah (My problems).

We hope you liked the chapter! Thank you so much for your continued support. Two chapters left!

Please R&R, Favorite, and follow! We will love you forever!


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N time! Love you, and here we are at the finale! As a treat we will be updating both chapters tonight! read them! Anticipate them! It shouldn't be much longer now. love you! and once again, be aware there ARE more major character deaths before the story is up!**

* * *

After that night Francis allowed Alfred to spend his nights with the king instead of being on duty. He figured if something did happen Alfred would be able to help.

All the while, Arthur had been waiting for days for the messenger to return but the man never did. Weeks, months. The fighting had begun to spread and Arthur was having to send troops in. One night he got into bed and admitted his thoughts. "I think they killed him. The messenger I mean."

Alfred nodded. "I think you're right…" He let out a sigh. "I'm sorry."

"But I need a conference. I need to talk to the king…. I wonder if… I should go in person…" Arthur questioned aloud.

Alfred bolted upright. "No! That's too dangerous!"

The king let out a long sigh. "Alfred, if I send men to the battlefield I can risk a bit of danger myself… Besides I'll have plenty of guards."

"I will be there with you right? I can protect you."

Arthur opened his mouth to say something but then closed it. "… No… After thinking about it… You'd better stay here." Arthur sighed, still laying down in the sheets.

"What! Why?" Alfred looked at him questions filling his eyes. "I'm your knight, why would I stay here?!"

Arthur sighed and sat up. "I… I can't risk losing you, besides; I feel they need you here more… I'll make sure it doesn't get out that I'm traveling without you. If assassins come, they will go after Oliver; I need you to protect them.

"But what about you? If you die… I… I don't know what I would do." Alfred looked the king in the eyes. "Oliver has Francis!"

"I know that Alfred." Arthur put a hand on Alfred's bare chest and with a frustrated sigh, pushed him down on the bed and kissed him into silence. "Listen, I need somebody to be my eyes and ears while I'm gone. You're the only person I know I can trust right now okay? And everybody will think you're with me. I need you to find this insider who has been cooperating with Gercio."

Alfred mumbled small protests, but gave up. "I-I'm not saying I agree… But… I will do what you ask… J-just don't get hurt okay?"

"Thank you." Arthur kissed him again. "Be careful. Nobody can know you're not with me."

"I-I understand." The knight said between Arthur's kisses though he didn't return them.

Arthur pouted. "You look so sad…" He sighed. "I'm sorry I just… I need to solve this."

"I know. You have your duty to the kingdom… Who are you planning to take with you?"

"Gilbert won't be too busy. I will probably take Feliciano and Ludwig… Ivan perhaps… Even Yao to be our doctor in case anyone gets hurt… I feel they are the most trustable knights we have, even though many knights have been here working under my family longer. I will leave Francis and Antonio to protect my brother." Arthur explained.

"I guess you trust them because you grew up with them." Alfred suggested.

"… I liked that whole group… I always felt they were… More devoted to the good of the people." He sighed and kissed Alfred again. "I'll leave in two days. I need to arrange some things before I go… Forgive me?"

Alfred nodded. "How could I not?"

"Oh… I don't know… I thought maybe…" He grinned and pressed himself against his knight. "You might need at least a little persuasion…"

"_Well..._maybe a _bit_ of persuasion." The knight said in a sing song voice.

Arthur smiled. "What the queen wants the queen gets…" He locked Alfred in a sweet kiss, and despite the state of things, he never felt happier.

* * *

Arthur was leaving and Alfred was a wreck. He knew he wouldn't be able to protect the king when he was gone. Why did he have to leave? Alfred knew the answer, but he still wasn't okay with it. He felt like tearing out his hair. "Damnit!" He whispered to himself.

Arthur paused in front of the carriage and sighed. "You'll be fine. I'm counting on you." The group had left the palace already and had stopped out of sight so Alfred could leave and sneak back inside the palace.

"I know." Alfred ran a hand through his hair. "Shit Artie… Please be safe."

Arthur sighed again and smiled. "I'll be fine… You stay safe as well…" He glanced around before leaving a quick kiss on the knight's lips. "I love you." He added before getting back in the carriage.

"I love you too." He whispered as he waved to his king as he rode away.

Arthur waved as well as the carriage moved forward. Gilbert was the only one outside the carriage, he controlled the horse. The rest of the guards were inside with Arthur so they could appear as a regular coach, not royals to attack. They even went out of their way to rent a rusty old one from the city; they were trying to avoid suspicion at all costs. The king let out a long sigh and looked across the coach at Feliciano as she wielded her crossbow. "We have a long journey ahead of us… I'd suggest everybody get comfortable, we will switch drivers every so often."

Alfred stood there long after Arthur was out of sight. He stood staring off in the distance where Arthur had disappeared. Later that night he had made his way back to Arthur's room, taking the many covert passageways. He sat in Arthur's room alone and waiting. It already felt like Arthur had been gone for too long. Alfred was worried and couldn't wait for the king's return. He ran a hand through his hair. "Damnit." He needed to prepare himself for his mission.

They boy looked out the window; hoping nightfall would come sooner so he could leave the room and seek out suspicious activity. It would be difficult to not be seen but it would be nice to just get to work so he could stop thinking of Arthur. He could think of every bad possibility that could happen. He laid back on Arthur's side of the bed breathing in his scent. They day was passing by slowly as Alfred tried to find things to occupy his time with.

It was then he noticed the doorknob turning. Who would be coming in when Arthur was gone, a maid? He leaped off the bed and crawled under it to hide himself, tugging the sheets down to cover him even further. He heard the door open and he waited. He listened for the person to enter. The door was carefully pushed open and he could hear the steps come closer. He held his breath.

The footsteps stopped and traveled around the room a little before Alfred heard something move around on the bed before the person walked back towards the door. Alfred lifted the sheets just in time to see black studded boots leave the room and close the door.

The knight scrambled out from under the bed. "Who was that?" He whispered to himself as he moved the sheets away. Then he looked to the bed. There was blood covering the sheets. "Blood… Why?" Alfred stared at the stained sheets. "This is… Not right…" He was decently sure it was the spy, but why would they want to do this? Were they trying to fake the king's death? What about Oliver? Was he safe?

Alfred quickly peeked into the hallway, empty… He ran a shaky hand through his hair. "Shit. What am I supposed to do?" He kept his eyes fixated on the hall before him. "Who was that person?" He took a deep breath before returning to the room and wait for nightfall. Once the sky was black and the torches were lit, he set to the corridors looking for any kind of suspicious activities.

There wasn't much to see. The maids were doing what maids do; everything was quiet, enough to where he could hear the small pattering of the mice through walls. As he walked further through the palace he began to hear whispers but strangely it was only one, not two. The voice was defiantly a male's voice. It was vaguely familiar. He stepped closer making sure that his feet didn't make a sound as they touched the stone ground.

"Close now… Soon… Who's there?" Alfred heard a clatter and turned to run, he slipped into a secret passage. He took a deep breath his heart was beating a mile a minute. That voice… Was it Oliver's? No, he couldn't jump to such conclusions… he's never been fond of Oliver, he couldn't justify his thinking, and he needed proof… but… What if it was? It could be conceivable. He was next in line for the throne, but why want a war? Alfred gulped. "Now what?"

Alfred shook his head unsure of what to do. He peaked through the door of the passage but saw nothing, no one was there. He wondered into the hall again cautiously but even when no persons were present. He sighed and crept back through the hall and stood in front of the door to the room. He opened the door slowly, but no one was there either. He let out a sigh and looked around.

He continued searching, but found nothing. The night stretched out and he was already becoming sick of it. He slept in Arthur's room, near the window instead of on the bed in case someone was to come in again. He pulled the curtains in front of him and fell asleep.

* * *

Alfred was woken in the morning by a shrill scream coming from a maid. She dropped the cleaning supplies she held and ran out of the room. He stood quickly. "Right… Blood… Oh they're going to think it was me!" He panicked as footsteps echoed along with voices of panicking maids. He ran into the room attached to the bathroom for heating water and ducked into a dark corner. He listened to the footsteps storm in as the guards entered through the doors. His breath hitched, would they find him? Alfred curled tightly in the corner.

"This blood is old." He heard a voice say.

"But the king has been gone for a day or so." Another voice protested.

"So why is it here then? I saw the king off myself." The man questioned. The men argued back and forth for sometime before deciding to tell Francis and leaving the room.

Alfred stayed in the corner and waited for them to be far enough away. This room was no longer safe. He had his own room, but would they check that room too? If they found him without Arthur, would they believe him to be dead? Alfred cursed under his breath. At least there were better places to hide in his own room. He made his way there as soon as he was able to. He could use the secret passage if he had to.

He waited until the excitement died down and was able to sneak through the secret passages to grab some food in the kitchen while everybody was distracted. Alfred hadn't eaten anything for a while, but even so he only took enough so it would go unnoticed by the chefs, not really enough to fill his needy stomach.

He waited once more for nightfall. Time was going slow and he was starting to tire of this. He wasn't finding anything useful as he searched for the man who spilled the blood on Arthur's bed, nor did the guards have a clue what was going on.

Time passed, and Alfred become more and more frustrated, he couldn't find anything but still he was keeping a closer eye on Oliver. Personally he didn't want the culprit to be Oliver; it would hurt Arthur too much.

Sometimes he could hear multiple voices in the room Oliver would go in to, but the sounds were always too muffled for him to know what was going on. He couldn't figure out what he was doing, but he also couldn't push away the nagging feeling that whatever it was wasn't good.

* * *

Arthur's journey was boring; he disguised himself as a commoner to avoid attention. It took a week to reach the enemy kingdom. Everyone was worn and exhausted by the time they reached the imperial city. The group decided to stay at a small inn near the palace.

They laid low for a while until the next morning. At that time they approached the royal palace, Arthur took down his hood and was quickly recognized, he waved a white hand kerchief before the guards charged him. "I come with a message, no more."

The guards felt him up and down for weapons. "Is it only you?"

Of course not, my few guards are back there, but I'm looking for a meeting, not a fight. I brought them for self defense reasons, I won't bring my guards in if it makes you feel better." The king was confident in his hand to hand combat skills, if he was attacked he had armor, he had also come prepared to take risks.

"Wait here." The guard motioned for him not to move before he took off. The guard made his way to the gate and spoke with someone. He then walked back to the young king. "You will come alone. It may be a while before you can have a meeting, our king is very busy."

"That is fine." Arthur took a deep breath and held his hands in front of him in a submissive manner. "I mean no harm. Lead the way."

A few guards surrounded him and they began to walk towards the palace. They took him through many corridors, it would be impossible for him to find his way out unescorted. They led him to a room. "You may stay here until we can make you a meeting. We will get you for dinner in a few hours."

"Thank you for your hospitality. It's much more than I was expecting." He smiled politely.

The man nodded and left without another word.

Arthur's smile fell; he sighed and began to pace nervously. The room was comfortable, there was a large bed placed near the edge and many other amenities. He waited hours before he was called out to dinner.

A guard knocked on the door. "Sir, dinner is served in the dining hall. The king will see you, but he will be late, but the queen is already there."

Arthur cleared his throat. "Thank you." He remained tense as the guards led him through the halls. He wasn't expecting this at all.

The queen waited patiently for Arthur to arrive. She stood and curtsied when he walked in. "Please sit and enjoy the feast." She was a beautiful queen. On the table there was a bowl of soup placed in front of the queen and Arthur, there was also a basket with fresh baked breads and a bountiful amount of fruits and vegetables. This was only the start of the meal to come.

Arthur smiled pleasantly and bowed to her. "Your highness… Thank you… but may I ask you a question?"

"Yes you may." The queen said as she sat back down gracefully.

He waited for permission and continued standing. "… Why are you being so kind? Let's be completely honest… People are dying. It's not that I don't appreciate it. I'm just confused is all."

"Well you are a monarch of another kingdom. We figured if you came all the way here you must have something important to say."

"Of course… But pardon me for asking… Why is a monarch from another kingdom more important to treat well then a messenger from that very same palace?"

"Messenger? What messenger?" The queen cocked her head to the side, her eyes looking directly back at Arthur's.

Arthur paused. "… A month ago I sent a messenger to ask for a conference with the king… but he never returned. A scout informed my brother he had been killed when he arrived here…" Arthur stroked his chin. "But… once again the dots don't connect… You don't seem to know of it at all…"

"I'm very sorry for the mix up." She sighed. "But as I understand it, it was your kingdom that started this war, was it not?"

"… That is another thing that confuses me… Excuse my forwardness but…" He sat down in front of the queen, earnestness in his eyes. "That is why I called this conference, from what our kingdom knows, your army attacked us first. What the man at my coronation said didn't match up. That is why I sent the messenger, but apparently he was intercepted. War seems to be the last thing either of us wants."

The queen stood up pulling something off the table and giving it to the young king. "You say your people didn't want a war, but how do you explain this?" She set a paper in front of him. It took him a moment to realize it was a declaration of war. "This has your kingdom's seal."

Arthur stared at it wide eyed. "I… I have never seen this in my life."

"But that IS your seal." She stared down at the paper. "Did your father send it without your knowledge?"

"My father was less interested in war than I am… Do you mind if I take a closer look?"

"Please do."

Arthur took the parchment and inspected it closely. "This is… definitely our seal… but we have been suspecting for some time… There is a spy in our midst's… Otherwise the assassins wouldn't know about the layout of the castle as effectively as they do… I don't know if you're aware of whom I am talking about… But this spy may have played us both. They must live in the palace to have gotten a hold of the seal…"

"Well there is one who has been helping us. You see after we received this document, we wanted to end the war swiftly. So we offered magic to the boy in the hope he would help us." The queen stated. "I would like to get to the bottom of this. Mindless slaughter is the last thing we want."

"Magic?... Who… Who was it, do you know? Can you describe him to me?" The young king asked.

"He had red hair and green eyes… I don't really remember." The queen said.

"… Red hair?..." Arthur's eyes suddenly widened. "No…" He stood. "No that can't be right!"

"Who is it? Do you know him?"

"… My… Maybe I'm wrong but… It sounds like you're describing…" He gulped. "My brother."

"He did share a slight resemblance to you." The woman stated. "But why would your brother do such a thing?"

"I don't know… That is the strange thing… It doesn't make sense; he has never shown any indication of… Or maybe… Forgive me, but I would like to address the king as soon as possible."

"He will be joining us shortly." The queen nodded. "Then maybe we could get this settled."

"That would be great." Arthur replied.

The servants entered the room bringing steaming hot food to the table; something Arthur hadn't had the pleasure of eating in the past week. "Help yourself to whatever you'd like." The queen offered.

Arthur cleared his throat. "Of course… Erm… Thank you." He took another look at the document before setting it aside and sitting back down. "Excuse me…"

"Yes?" She glanced back at him.

"… I wonder if you have some form of… Ah… Never mind… Business can wait can't it, I'm being awfully rude, and I should wait until the king arrives. Forgive me."

"No, I know this is a rather urgent matter. Do forgive my husband for not being here yet. Though we did not know you were coming." The queen apologized.

"Seeing as a messenger was killed, I was afraid to send another one… But I'm very concerned about that… If my brother is behind this then… I shouldn't jump to conclusions… But I don't know why he would want a war…"

The queen glanced up at him as she took a sip from her tea. "Power." She said simply. "It is something that calls to us all. He, if it is him who started all of this, has received that ability to use magic now."

"… It makes sense I suppose… But… He has been close to me this whole time… Why would he only do something now? How long has he been spying for you?"

"He has been working for us a while now. Since we received that." She motioned to the document.

The king entered the room at that moment, his eyes falling upon the young king before him.

Arthur quickly stood up as did the queen, showing the proper respect.

"Sire." Arthur bowed. "Excuse me."

The man nodded. "I hear you are suggesting that this war was false and never part of your kingdoms plans." He spoke as he sat next to his queen.

Arthur blinked. "… Information… Travels fast here…"

The king smiled. "Of course it does, it must during war time." He looked at Arthur. "It sounds like we are in agreement. Something is going on. It seems like it could be your brother?"

"Yes… AH, I always forget the convenience of magic… Thank you for coming so soon…" He sat down after a moment.

The king smiled. "Right. It was brave of you to come here alone and unguarded. So do you have a proposal?"

"… This… Spy… Has he discussed his plans with you at all?"

"He planned on taking your kingdom down by the inside. His plans were to kill you next, you and your protector." The king said.

Arthur's eyes went wide. "My… Protector…" His heartbeat sped up. "… Alfred… Oh no." He stood up suddenly. "I need to get back as soon as possible. Forgive me but I think we both agree we don't want a war. I will pull my troops back in three days time, will you do the same? Do I need to sign anything? A treaty of mutual surrender?"

The king nodded. "I will have the papers written up quickly, and then you can be on your way." The man turned to his servant with a nod. The man quickly ran out of the room to come up with the documents.

Arthur toyed with his sleeves nervously. Leaving Alfred at home was the worst thing he could have done. "Excuse me but… Is there a way you've been transporting your spies faster than conventional travel? I'm not sure I can spare another week away from the palace."

The king eyed him. "It is a very difficult process. Only the strongest can do such a far transportation, and even that takes a large toll on one's body."

Arthur pursed his lips together. "Yes of course… Thank you… If I am able to pay that toll I will… but I know nothing of magic."

"That would be a problem." The king said as he touched his bearded chin. "We could show you the basics but that wouldn't allow you to transport yourself. I could have one of my most advanced magicians see if he could transport you with him..."

"It could be possible… But very difficult." A nearby man mumbled.

The servant entered the room with a stack of papers. "The document is ready." He placed a copy in front of each king so they could read it over.

* * *

**Through the loop here!**

**One more chapter! We are working on it now and you can expect it in an hour!**

**PLease review! fearless party tonight!**

**(I'll get it up if I can, my mom enforces internet restrictions, so if it's not up tonight that's why and I'll get it up tommarow.)**


	12. Chapter 12

**WE LOVE YOU. here is last chapter. Make sure to read the after A/N for an update on our next project!**

Alfred crept around a corner, perusing Oliver. Oliver entered a room this time he had forgotten to close the door; it was left slightly cracked as he willed an image to show in the mirror. Nothing happened until he heard a loud booming voice. "Your services are no longer required."

Oliver blinked. "Excuse me?... I have been trying to warn you the king is coming for a week now. Did you kill him there?"

"No. He is treated as a guest. The declaration was a falsity.

"The… Excuse me? You believe that?"

Alfred's eyes went wide. This was all the proof he needed. He gripped at his sword on his belt. His hand was still bandaged but he was sure it had healed enough to fight well. He took a breath, should he be so hasty?

Oliver scowled when no answer came. "Is he with you right now?"

"Yes. He is." The voice answered. Alfred breathed in a sigh of relief hearing that Arthur was safe.

"…Fine then… Would you mind if I spoke with him?" Oliver asked.

"One moment." Said the voice.

Oliver clenched his fists and turned around. "Come on out I know you're there. I'm guilty, there's no reason to hide."

Alfred gulped but stepped through the door.

Oliver glared at him. "I'm amazed you stayed around so long. I only tried _everything_ to drive you away."

"Obviously you didn't try hard enough." The boy said with just as much of a glare.

Oliver twitched. "Of course… remember this?" He turned and spread his arms; a giant dragon momentarily appeared behind him, before it dove straight for the knight.

Alfred was stunned only for a moment before he pulled his sword from its place in its sheath blocking the attack. He stumbled back slightly, his body unprepared for the force that hit.

The dragon faded and Oliver grinned. "Hmm… Maybe now would be a good time to stop suppressing your blackout fighting state…"

Alfred bit his lip and cursed under his breath. His grip on the blade tightened and he took a step forward. The fear from seeing the dragon fading slowly. The small room was hardly a good place for a fight, but he would have to deal with it.

"But I can see that gave you a fright." Oliver grinned before Arthur's voice came from the mirror.

"Oliver!" Arthur shouted.

Both men turned to the mirror and they saw Arthur's image. "Well if it isn't the twerp himself." Oliver said in a mocking tone.

"Why?" Arthur asked his eyes locked on his brother.

"Does that really need to be answered or are you just that stupid?" The prince chuckled. "This has been coming for years Arthur. You just refused to see it because you thought we were best friends."

Arthur silenced and Alfred tightened his grip on the blade as he saw the hurt expression on Arthur's face. "Damn you." He cursed at the eldest prince.

"Same to you, and as for this." He clenched his fist and a faint glow appeared around Alfred's neck. "One of the reasons I knew I needed magic was nothing else would stand a chance against your brute here… I suggest you get home fast little brother." He cut off the call and turned to Alfred.

Alfred's blade dropped to the floor and he clutched for his neck.

Oliver turned to him, the same glow in his hand. "You've got some nerve. I'm sick of you interfering."

"You won't win. It's impossible now." Alfred said as he tried to keep his voice steady, it was getting harder for him to breath.

"Oh Arthur will come as soon as he can. He'll probably use magic and nobody else knows exactly what happened. I'll kill him when he gets here and then I'm finished." He knelt in from of the knight. "Tell me… What on this earth do you see in my brother?"

A low growl escaped Alfred's throat. "I won't let you kill him." His eyes narrowed at the traitor. "Arthur is a better man then you could ever hope to be!" The magic that bound itself around his throat tightened and he let out a pained gasp.

"And here I thought it was just a phase… You two really love each other. Heh. I bet he screams like a girl during sex." He chuckled.

Alfred was beginning to feel light headed from the lack of oxygen reaching his lungs, but that didn't stop him from shooting forward with all his strength against the magical bindings holding him in place and hitting the prince square in the jaw.

Oliver stumbled for a moment, but kneed Alfred in the gut and removed the magic from his throat; instead he had it hold him against the wall. He approached with a glare. "So I take it that means he _does_ scream like a girl…" The man took out a knife.

Alfred let out a small yelp when his head crashed against the stone wall. He fought against the bindings, his strength pushing against the magic as he let out a grunt. The boy's eyes caught sight of the blade in Oliver's hand and he was struck with a fear he hadn't felt since his training so many years ago. He could feel his instincts kicking in, his heart raced.

Oliver grinned. "Oh don't worry. You'll have time… I'm going to make you suffer. I'll kill you in front of Arthur when he gets here." A knife pierced his wrist.

Alfred bit his lip to keep a scream of pain from leaving his throat. "Bastard." He said through his teeth.

Oliver grinned. "Your skin really is hard to cut, I had forgotten about that." With great effort he continued to split the flesh up Alfred's palm.

Alfred gritted his teeth again pulling away from the magic. He could feel his mind beginning to black out, something he hadn't done in a long time. He was able to pull away, pushing Oliver back away from him and then finding his blade. He had to hold it with his left hand due to his new injury.

Oliver blinked for a moment. "You're too strong even for magic huh? Well I'll find a way around that." He turned back to the knight. "You look nervous… Losing control?" He smiled evilly.

"N-no." He clutched at his blade and ran at the prince. He couldn't allow himself to lose control; he could end up hurting someone other than Oliver.

The prince rolled his eyes and dodged the attack. "We've done this before when you were a tiny lad… and uninjured… What was the metaphor I used?...ah yes, it's like sex. you're face was priceless on that one."

Alfred shook his head and swung his blade, connecting with Oliver's and began pushing him back. "I'm not the child I once was." He said through clenched teeth.

"You're still a child. You always will be a child." Oliver suddenly ducked and grabbed Alfred's ankles, leaving an energy there that flipped him upside down, hovering in mid air. Oliver smiled. "Perfect." He pushed his knife against Alfred's throat.

The boy gasped and felt his mind slipping away and he didn't have the energy to stop it. There was nothing else he could do. Everything went black, It had been a long time and he felt like he was in water, floating somewhere. He wasn't sure how much time passed in the depths of himself, but when he finally snapped out of it, he felt a sharp pain shoot through his chest.

He wheezed and coughed, opening his eyes. Oliver stood with a grin in front of him; a long blade was struck right through his heart. "I've won." He said with a wicked grin.

"Alfred!" Arthur's voice called out, Alfred caught a glimpse of his loved one against the wall bound by magic.

"A-Arthur…" His voice was weak and hardly even heard. He breathed in shaky loud gasps. Every breath shot pain through his body and his eyes were fogged.

"ALFRED!" The king screamed as the knight collapsed to his knees. What was this?... He had never felt it before… Suddenly he was on the ground, and he saw Oliver release Arthur from the magical binding. The young king ran to Alfred and the knight felt Arthur's arms wrap around him, was that a hand on his face? Arthur came into vision. "Alfred?... Alfred can you hear me?!"

"Y-yes… I-I can hear you." It felt like his body wasn't his own anymore. His hand shakily reached for Arthur. "I'm s-sorry Arthur…"

"Hush… Hush you'll be fine." Arthur whispered, he took Alfred's hand in his own. Tears began welling in his eyes and Alfred saw splotches of black begin to invade his vision, but this wasn't the same as blacking out. He didn't feel like he was losing control. It almost felt like he was falling into a peaceful sleep. He tried to keep his voice even. "Arthur… I…" He eyes were fluttering between being open and closed.

"It's okay… You don't have to say anything." Arthur hugged his knight close to his chest. "I know… You'll be fine…" Alfred could see the king was smiling, but it hurt so badly… His entire body felt almost like it wasn't there except the part that stung. He heard himself take a strangled breath.

Oliver chuckled at the sight. "You two are both fools."

Arthur held Alfred tighter to him. He didn't respond to Oliver's taunting and found himself hoping Alfred couldn't hear it. He knew he was vulnerable at the moment, but he didn't care. He hummed softly in Alfred's ear. He knew for a fact now there was nothing he could do. If he left to get a doctor, Oliver would have damaged him more by then if he managed to get out at all. Transporting him would kill him by the time he got there and the king didn't even know if a doctor could help him once he found one. The thought made tears roll down his face and he drew in another shaky breath and kept humming, clutching the younger man tightly. He was just barely eighteen now… He had years ahead of him…but not anymore...

Alfred let out a pained groan and clutched at his chest. He began coughing, each cough sending him into harsh tremors of pain. "Ah-Arthur… I promised I'd be by your side."

"… You… Were wonderful… Alfred I love you… But… It's okay… You'll see your mother and brother again right?" Arthur gulped. "It's not f-fair for me to keep you here… I've hogged you enough already." He heard Oliver shift behind him, and gave him a death glare as he held Alfred.

"I want… I want to stay with you." Alfred gasped out. He clung to Arthur with the last of his strength.

"Hush." He whispered to Alfred. "I'll follow you one day… It's okay… Are you hurting?"

Alfred nodded, feeling too weak to speak. He could feel himself slipping further away. He pushed himself up, his lips lightly brushing Arthur's before he collapsed back to the floor his breath heavy. "I-I love you Arthur."

Arthur nodded, tears flooding his eyes. "… Goodbye…" He pressed a soft kiss to the knight's lips. "I love you…" He whispered but found Alfred had no breath to answer him. His skin was already growing cold. Arthur gulped and bit his lip. "… I'll keep you safe… Don't you worry…" He gave Alfred a final squeeze before laying him down gently on the floor and standing to face Oliver.

Oliver looked down at his brother with a grin perched on his lips. "Finally."

"Arthur glared at him as he drew his blade from its scabbard. "You sick… Twisted bastard… You just signed your own death warrant." He got into a fighting stance. "Because there is no force on this earth that can stop me now."

"You have yet to beat me in swordsmanship." The prince chuckled. "You know, it was me who hurt Alfred all those years ago? What was it that he told you? He fell?" The man held his blade in an offensive manner his smile never leaving his face.

Arthur clenched his jaw, "He really saw that dragon. You made it. You were trying to make him look crazy weren't you? Because I was beginning to trust you less?"

"He did seem rather hysterical didn't he?" The man said and then lunged at the king, their blades crashed against one another in a fury.

Arthur clenched his teeth and pressed against the other until he was able to force him back. "If you were bitter why didn't you let me know? I had said multiple times that you would have made a better king than I… But apparently I was wrong."

Oliver smiled. "Right, you said that many times didn't you?"

"So why did you pretend to believe in me?! I trusted you! So what was a lie and what was truth?!" Their blades clashed again and Oliver tripped the younger and pinned him to the floor. Arthur struggled until a blade was pressed against his neck.

The man laughed, his blade pressed harder against the king's neck. "You're far too trusting. I wasn't lying when I said you could've been a good king, but you won't live long enough to see that."

Arthur scowled. "You could have killed me whenever you wanted, so why did you wait until now?"

"Because now I have someone to blame. Even if they deny it, who would believe the enemy kingdom?" Oliver answered.

The king gritted his teeth and took the opportunity to knee his brother below the belt and kick him away. He rolled onto his feet, gripping his sword. "Oliver… I never wanted to kill anyone… but I will, and after you, never again.

"Hmm? I don't think you have it in you." He let out a breath as he pulled himself up from the floor.

Arthur's eyes narrowed. "You killed Alfred… I'll break you."

"I tried warning him you know." Oliver said. "It was your fault for keeping him around. That and you left him here."

"… I know… and maybe I'll never forgive myself…" And with that he dashed at his brother and ran him clean through with his blade then said quietly. "But this… This I can forgive myself for… That's the difference."

Oliver fell to his knees; his smile never left his face.

Arthur watched disdainfully and let go of the blade. He stepped away. Oliver was still alive, but he knew he wouldn't be for long. "… I was a fool not to have seen it before."

"You're still a fool" The man gasped out.

"Maybe I am…" He tipped his brother over with a tap. "… But at least… I tried my best…"

The man collapsed to the floor was a quiet thud. He took a shuttered breath before he closed his eyes and gave into death. Arthur stared at him for a moment before he fell to his knees and burst into tears. His wails of sorrow echoed through the room. The king scurried over to his knight who was laying on his back. "Alfred." He whimpered. He allowed himself to collapse and he rested his head on Alfred's chest. "Alfred!" He cried, more to himself than to the one who bore the name.

A few guards stormed in at that moment. "What's- Your highness." They stuttered and rushed in the room staring at the mess before them. "Are you alright? We didn't know you had returned."

Arthur only continued to sob. "I-I'm fine… g… get Francis…"

"Right." The men ran out of the room to follow the king's orders and quickly brought Francis back with them.

Francis stared wide eyed at the scene before him before sending the other guards away and closing the door. Arthur didn't look up. His clothes were stained with blood.

"What happened here?" He asked as he rushed towards the king.

Arthur clenched his fists around Alfred's shirt and sobbed a few more times before looking up. "Oliver… Oliver was the traitor… He kill… He killed Alfred… and then…" He hid his face again.

"And then what? You killed him?" Francis put a gentle hand on the boy's back.

Arthur jolted at the touch, shrinking away from his hand. "… I… He… One of us was going to die… and it wasn't going to be me…"

"I understand." The man was trying to hold himself together for Arthur's sake. Alfred had been like a son to him. He pulled his hand back slowly and sighed. "I'm really sorry Arthur."

Arthur stayed put for a few more minutes before his sobs fell silent and he slowly pulled away. "… Oliver has been planning this all along…"

"He betrayed us all. I'm sorry… I thought you and Alfred were gone. How did you get here?"

Arthur wiped his eyes. "… It… It was my fault. I left him here while everyone thought he was with me, I wanted him to find the spy… He did and…" Arthur stopped. "… It's… my fault… I never saw it coming."

"It wasn't your fault. Don't blame yourself. You didn't know." Francis tried to calm him.

Arthur took a deep breath and halfheartedly pushed him away. "… Just… Let me blame myself Francis…"

"… If that is what you wish your highness." Francis allowed himself to be pushed back. "We should clean him up."

Arthur nodded his face expressionless now. "Will you help me take him to his bedroom?..."

"Yes." The man nodded. He moved next to Arthur and carefully scooped Alfred into his arms. He looked solemnly at Arthur. "I shall send someone to take care of Oliver." The man looked at Arthur. "You need to get yourself cleaned up too." Francis held Alfred close and left the room heading to Alfred's chambers.

"… Thank you…" He waited for Francis to leave before standing up and wiping his eyes one more time. "He was only a boy..." He looked toward Oliver. "… I'm sorry… Maybe I'll never be able to forgive myself for that either." He walked out of the room and looked at the guards who were waiting outside. "Could you please call a doctor to take care of him?" He motioned to his brother's body.

The men nodded, one rushed to retrieve a doctor while the other entered the room to check the damage. Both men were confused by the king's presence.

Francis laid the younger knight on his bed gently and brushed his bangs out of his face. "I'm so sorry Alfred." The boy was too young to die Francis thought as he allowed a tear to fall from his eyes. He was in a similar state when a doctor arrived to clean the boy's wounds. He didn't ask questions, only did his job and left. Arthur arrived shortly after. He looked at Francis and nearly burst into tears all over again. "I'm sorry." He whispered.

Francis shook his head. "Don't apologize to me Arthur." He bit his lower lip as he attempted to keep his face calm. "Are you alright? Did you get hurt at all?"

"… No I'm fine…" He looked down at Alfred and let out a long sigh. The boy only looked like he was sleeping. "Why… Did it have to be him?... He never… Did anything wrong… I am the messed up one, why not me?... He was… So innocent…"

Francis let out a deep breath. "How did you know he was in danger? How did you get here? And how were you able to defeat Oliver, not ever Alfred was able to." Francis questioned and then ran his fingers through his hair. "Forgive me for all the questions.

"… I talked to Gerico's king… He had one of his mages send me back… When I got there, Alfred was blacked out and fighting… Oliver used magic and … He thought I didn't have it in me… He let his guard down…"

Francis shook his head. "I wish I would have known. I could have protected him and you. We need to send word to Gilbert and the others about your presence here."

"The queen said she would see to it… I… Maybe I'm awful… But… I had to get there right away…"

"No, you are not awful… Was he alone when he died?" Francis asked.

Arthur gulped. "No… I held him… Oliver could have done me in at any moment… I don't know why he didn't."

"I don't know… I'm glad you were able to be with him."

"… Right." Arthur hung his head.

The knight wrapped an arm around Arthur's shoulder giving him a short side hug. "What are you planning to do now?"

"… Let's live through the funeral service first… The troops are pulling out in three days…"

I understand."

* * *

Oliver was buried the morning after his death, Alfred the day after that. Arthur had him buried among the royals and made sure to arrange his own future burial in the spot next to him, in the far back of the confined graveyard. After the funeral, everybody left, those few who were with him from the start lingered a while longer but they too dispersed.

Arthur gulped, now he was all alone. He placed a small grouping of flowers on the fresh mound of earth. "Goodbye Alfred."

Francis waited patiently somewhat away from the grave site for a long while. But as the day drifted on to night he walked back over to his king. "You should go inside. It is getting cold."

"Is it?" Arthur looked up. "Oh dear… I do believe I've lost track of time… I'm sorry." He stood and wiped the dirt off his trousers. "… How long have I been sitting here?"

"Just about all day." Francis said solemnly. "We need to talk about what is going to happen in both the near and far future. I don't mean to bring it up so soon…"

"No I've been being ridiculous… That long? Ugh." His stomach rumbled. Arthur shook his head. "Francis I…" He looked back at Alfred's grave… "I'm sorry to say this now but… p-please don't make me marry anybody…"

"I-I… Arthur, you know it would be for the best. They you wouldn't be alone. You can take your time. But think about it. What about an heir? You no longer have Oliver for that." The man stated.

"Francis… Please… I know I'm king and really you can't force me but… I can't… Not after this I…"

"Arthur, what is the kingdom going to do when you die?" Francis asked calmly. "Who would be the new king?"

"I'll… Find a way. I'll do something Francis Just…" He hung his head. "I… I don't think you'll ever understand… I… Loved him Francis… I loved him and… I still love him."

"I do understand. But I thought you made a promise to put your kingdom before yourself."

"I…" Arthur closed his eyes. "But… I… A wife wouldn't… I…" Arthur gulped. "You're right… I know…" He clenched his fists and they began to shake. "I… Just need time…"

"You can have as much time as you need Arthur." The knight promised.

Arthur sighed. "Of course… I'll be in soon… Just one more moment… Could you ask somebody to take something hot to my room so we can discuss things?"

"Of course." Francis nodded and went on his way after glancing back at the king with a worried expression.

Arthur turned back to Alfred's grave one more time. Was he really gone? Or was this all just some awful dream and at any moment he would wake up with the knight in his arms. He caressed the top of the grave once and sighed before something caught his eye. He looked toward the wall and saw a small boy crawling over the walls of the cemetery and cocked an eyebrow.

The boy looked young, maybe seven or eight. He jumped to the ground landing on his hands and feet and scrambled to stand. He looked at Arthur and cocked his head to the side.

"… Do you know where you are little one?" The child was wearing rags. An orphan? A beggar? Both were very likely.

He shook his head. "No. Who are you?"

"I'm Arthur." He looked back at Alfred's grave, still touching the top. "…" He pulled away and crouched in front of the boy. "Where are your parents?"

"In the ground. Just like that one." He motioned to Alfred's grave.

Arthur looked toward the grave. "Yes… That person is very important to me… but maybe he can give your parents company…" He looked at the little boy with a small sad smiled, his face changed to a more concerned expression. The boy was very skinny. "… What's your name?"

"Peter." The boy said and frowned.

"Do you have a home Peter?"

"No…"

"… Peter…" Arthur paused then shook his head scolding himself for being impulsive. He walked to Alfred's grave and Peter trailed behind him curiously… Arthur sighed and touched the grave again.

Alfred was once an orphan Arthur thought to himself. Francis had taken him in and trained him to be a knight. Alfred gained a family because of it. Why couldn't he do the same for Peter, somehow he knew Alfred would approve. He smiled lightly maybe… if he raised this child with enough love from he and Alfred both, he could be a wonderful ruler one day… "Alfred all, I have to live for something now don't I…" He muttered.

"Who's that?" Peter asked curiously.

"… Peter… I'm the king of this country, and this was my queen." He touched the grave. "But he;s gone now…"

"You are the king… and he was your queen? But I thought queens were supposed to be girls…" The boy questioned.

"Yes but… Not everybody loves girls… We loved each other… We were strange… maybe it isn't normal but we were in love…"

The boy looked at the grave. "But he's gone now…" He looked up at the king. I'm sorry."

"Yes but… I think I'll find the strength to move on… Say… Peter how would you like to stay here for a while?"

"What do you mean?" Peter eyed him. He usually didn't truest adults, but who could really blame him after what he'd been through.

"… Well you look underfed… I'm rather hungry myself… Why don't you come for dinner? Feel free to stay as long as you like."

"… I… Is that okay?"

The king smiled. "Of course it is." He held out his hand for the child to take.

The young boy nodded and took hold of the king's hand.

Arthur went on to be one of the greatest kings of his country's history. He led them to both peace and great wealth. The king never did marry, but he did adopt a child to one day take over his throne.

He never forgot Alfred. He lived a long life, and had a peaceful death. He was found one morning, leaning against Alfred's grave, dressed in his best clothes as if he knew he would pass that very night. When peter found him, there was still a small smile on the king's pale face. He had raised the child with all the love he could and Peter had grown to be noble. Somewhere in Peter's heart, from all the stories he had heard of Alfred… He knew he was proud. And so King Arthur was buried next to his beloved and nobody who knew the two doubted for a second that they were together again.

* * *

**The Fucking End.**

**We are SO sorry! Yes we WERE planning this from the beginning, even before we began RPing we knew Alfred would die. Don't worry, our next project will have a much happier conclusion.**

**By the time you read this it will probably be up.**

**It is on our profile and it is called "Angel's Hell"**

**:D read it. It was our very first RP and it will leave you much more satisfied. Please review!**

**~Through the Loop**


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